


Answers for the Fallen

by xcyfiawnderx



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Betrayal, Blood, Character Death, Dead Hands cna fuck off, Execution scene, Ganondorf is a dick but what else is new, Glass houses are shattering, I'm back on my bullshit with a new one guys, Legend is angry with things, Link will be known as Fallen once we get there, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Magic Bullshit, Mentions of Death, Nightmares, Regrets, Time is confused and alarmed with what is happening, Try to remember little details friends, Verbal Abuse, Written from a Live Write, because it will all come together in the end, descriptions of burns, descriptive in ways, got some stuff planned and I'm gonna enjoy this, memories and flashbacks, minor descriptions of injury, so many fucking regrets, this is gonna hurt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:35:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 78,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22703296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xcyfiawnderx/pseuds/xcyfiawnderx
Summary: Time and space mean little to the Goddess' Chosen Heroes quest. What she chooses to have them do can sometimes be good. Other times it will only end in disaster with more questions than answers until it comes to a head.A shift to a world familiar to one brings several pieces of history to light andnothingis as it seems to be. A  reign of terror exists there and no hero has stood up to fight back.At least, no one believes the hero is fighting back.
Comments: 201
Kudos: 350





	1. Swordpoint (Time)

**Author's Note:**

> This will take place primarily between Time and Link(Fallen)'s pov's. I'll make mention of who's pov it is with each chapter title.
> 
> There will be an occasional chapter with someone else's pov but it won't happen often.
> 
> Also, this is dedicated to those who started it on the server. Estajay, Ambi, Lucy, and of course, the idea maker Books.

The group all staggered as they tried to get their bearings from the shift in their previous location in Warriors’ Hyrule. Every one of them still had their weapons drawn, blood dripping off of blades which were either loosely held or stabbed into the ground to brace themselves. This shift was  _ far _ more violent than any of the previous ones, battling a battalion of stalchildren and bokoblins aside.

Time was the first to recover and look over the group, counting eight other heroes in various poses of recovery, he breathed a soft sigh of relief and straightened up. “Is everyone alright? Any injuries?”

“Legend’s got one, I saw him get hit by a spear.”

“Yes,  _ thank you _ . I hadn’t noticed the fucking broken shaft in my  _ calf _ Warriors.” Seven more pairs of eyes turned towards the pair, where Warriors was helping keep Legend off of the wounded limb. 

Beyond that, the rest of the others murmured a few “no’s” or “just bruises”. Hyrule moved over to them both and helped Warriors get Legend settled so they could start on getting the spearhead removed from the injury. As they got themselves settled in, everyone else started to carefully look around, wanting to be alert for anything that may have gone through with them.

Time however fixed Wild in place with a flat stare when the other had said, “I’m fine, no hits on me for once. I stayed at a distance this time with my bow.”

“You’re not lying?”

There was a light roll of the younger man’s eyes and a shake of his head. “No Time, at most I got a few snags in my shirt and cloak from their own arrows.”

Wild only shifted slightly once under the older’s narrowed eye before Time looked away with an eyeroll of his own. “Don’t downplay your injuries Wild. Take a potion.”

The soft curse he got in response as he started towards his pup brought a small smirk to his lips. He stopped briefly by Sky, Wind, and Four who were already each nursing a potion of their own, just long enough to check up on them before he continued to where Twilight was standing at the edge of the little temporary place. 

Twilight had looked over at him briefly as he stepped up next to his descendant before turning his attention back to the sky. Time finally turned his gaze to the sky and froze upon seeing the ring shaped cloud surrounding the top of a familiar mountain. Only…  _ the sky was tinged purple and red _ . It wasn’t  _ blue _ .

“Time? Are we in your Hyrule?” Twilight asked from his side.

It  _ looked _ like his Hyrule. He tore his gaze away from Death Mountain and turned his head to actually take in his surroundings properly. They were at the edge of Hyrule Field, the far side, closer to the entry to Gerudo Valley and the Desert beyond. From here, he could  _ just _ make out the watchtower on LonLon Ranch, but something was  _ off _ with it. Beyond that was the barely seen edge of the Kokiri Forest, the trees at the edge looking barren.

This  _ wasn’t _ his Hyrule, not the one of  _ his _ time at least. It didn’t bode well at all. 

This was the Hyrule of his Journey. The Hyrule of the would-have-been-future. 

Something was  _ wrong _ .

He  _ dared _ not look at Castletown to the north, fearing what he could possibly see. A weight in his stomach was starting to build, and eat away at his nerves.

“Time?” Sky’s voice from his other side snapped him out of his racing thoughts and he turned his attention to the other. Concern was in the others eyes as he watched the eldest of their group. He didn’t have his sail cloth around his shoulders at the moment, the fabric folded carefully over his forearm. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

A strained and breathless laugh broke free and he shook his head once, looking back to the group as a whole. “No. Not a ghost, a reality that I had thought would never happen again.”

Wild had moved over to help Warriors and Hyrule with Legend, his fingers paused over the screen of his Slate, eyes locked on Time’s face. Legend was biting down hard on the leather of a spare pack strap that looked similar to Hyrule’s. Hyrule’s hand was covered in blood where he was prying out the spearhead with a careful touch, Warriors letting Legend lean on him and hold onto his vambrace with a white knuckled grip. 

Warrior’s gaze on him was more than enough to have him turn his attention to Four and Wind, seeing both of them watching him as well. Wind’s brow was furrowed slightly, his potion bottle empty in his hand not. Four was sitting next to Wind, his hands cradling the nearly empty bottle of his own potion.

Twilight and Sky were standing side-by-side on his left and he glanced at the pair of them before looking back up to where the cloud around Death Mountain’s peak shifted and swirled. “This is the Hyrule from where I get my namesake due to what I had to do to save it. Only… It looks  _ worse _ than it did during my journey. I don’t know what this means or even if it takes place properly in the timeline we have figured.”

“Does this mean there is another Hero joining us?” Sky wondered aloud, not particularly to anyone.

Time didn’t know how to answer that, as the only hero that could  _ possibly _ be brought in from this world would be his younger self. Unless this took place separately to his time? “Maybe, but something is bothering me about all of this. This isn’t… this isn’t  _ right _ , I completed my journey and task, none of this should be as it is.”

Before anyone else said anything, Legend let out a pained noise which drew a hiss from Warriors as Hyrule finished pulling free the spearhead and dropped it to the ground. With his other hand, Hyrule handed Legend a potion. “Drink it and let War have his arm back so he can take his. I’ll finish healing what it doesn’t.”

“Don’t.”

“Too bad, it’s a new Hyrule we don’t know what to fully expect.” Warriors chimed in as he took his arm back and downed the potion that Wild had shoved into his hands. When he was finished with the potion, Warriors looked over to where Time was standing. 

He was standing with his back to the north now, his gaze lingering on the distant watch tower that he could see from here. It was a little worrying because Warriors and the others knew what LonLon Ranch meant to Time. Apprehension was there in the tension of Time’s neck, worry in the crease of his brow as well as in the faintest twitches of his fingers. Warriors needed to distract him. 

Legend beat him to it.

“Hey, old man. Take a few minutes to relax, we’re relatively safe for now. No enemies in sight, and almost all of us are back in fighting shape. Give me a bit and I will be too.” There was a soft round of murmured agreement and Time nodded, some of the tension rolling off of him. 

“We should actually make camp. Night is falling, and if we  _ are _ in the future of my journey we don’t want to be caught off guard by the stalfos and stalchildren in the Field. Or the Peahats.” The last was said as if it were an afterthought and several of them looked confused.

A few groans did reach Time’s ears though at the mention of the nuisances. It was broken by Wild quietly asking, “Whats a Peahat?”

Wind launched himself into describing them, some differences were mentioned by Twilight, Sky, and Legend regarding the differences in their own times. He’d let them see for themselves what his looked like.  _ There should be one nearby actually… _

-

Setting up their camp was easy and soon enough, Legend was on his feet, helping gather some of the nearby brush for a fire, which Time had  _ insisted _ on having to help drive back the monsters. Soon enough the smell of smoke and a meal being cooked was floating along in the air. It was enough to help Time drive back some of the memories, the rest chattering and cleaning their weapons and items they had used during their earlier battle. He had taken the time to clean the blood off of his own sword and each piece of his armor, stacking it all next to his bedroll. 

Before long, Wild was handing out bowls of his hearty creamy meat soup. The usual round of compliments went around and Wild grinned as he too settled in and everyone ate in relative peace. Above them the faint and weak sunlight dimmed quickly as the sun lowered beyond the walls of the cliff face behind their campsite and the darkness of the night started to flow over the field. 

Dishes were washed quickly and handed back to Wild to be put in his Slate and Time cleared his throat to draw their attention, once he had it he spoke. “We’ll want to have two people on watch each shift tonight. We’ll do four two-hour shifts. That way everyone gets  _ some _ sleep. Legend you’re sitting this one out, don’t push your leg. The potion and Hyrule’s spell may have fixed it but I saw you flinch earlier when you turned on it.”

Legend had opened his mouth to protest only to snap his mouth shut with an annoyed huff and he crossed his arms. “Whatever…”

“Wind and Sky, you have first, Hyrule and Warriors on second, Four and I on third, and Wild and Twilight on last. Keep your eyes peeled for anything. This point of my journey was  _ dangerous _ at night, I tried sticking to the few towns here for a reason.” The grim weight of their location slowly settled back down on all of them with the realization that the Hyrule they were in  _ probably _ wasn’t friendly in any way. 

No one argued with the watch rotation, simply agreeing that they would wake the next pair when it came time to, and everyone started to settle into their bedrolls. Wind and Sky each took up a position on opposite sides of their camp their weapons at the ready once they had some of their armor back on. Just enough to cover them, but not enough to wake any of the others up when they traded shifts out. 

Sleep didn’t come easy for Time. His mind was racing through the possibilities of what this time could  _ be _ . Only one idea came to mind and it settled into his gut with a bone deep ache of realization and dawning horror. Legend and Hyrule’s branch of the timeline. 

Only the barest minimum of the history of their time during Ganondorf’s reign survived until Legends birth and journeys. What they  _ did _ know was that the timeline itself split at some unknown point or points during his journey into three distinct timelines they could place properly, Winds, Twilights, and Legend and Hyrules, with all three coming back together later on during Warriors’ own journey which lead  _ further _ down to Wild’s time. It was a mess trying to figure out where they were sometimes when there were similar locations that each of them had.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he closed his eye and listened to the sound of the others’ breathing. Everyone having settled in and fallen into a doze before one by one they each drifted into dreams. Each sound of Wind and Sky shifting or doing a quick walk around the edge of the perimeter kept him out of sleep itself so he gradually settled in to try some meditation.

It helped, a little.

Soon enough though, his shoulder was gently shaken and he snapped his eye open to look up at Warriors. “Your turn. It’s been quiet so far, we can hear the sound of the stalchildren and stalfos you mentioned, but they haven’t come close enough to take care of them.”

Time nodded and reached for his mail to pull it on. “Anything else to worry about that any of you noticed?”

Warriors shook his head. “No, nothing  _ seems _ to be out of place. It’s a bit unnerving, nature is  _ very _ quiet here. I’ll see you in the morning for now though.”

“Good night.” Time grabbed his sword as he stood up, letting Warriors get past him to settle down into his own bedroll fairly quickly. On the other side of the camp, he could see Four yawning as he settled himself in to where he chose to watch from while Hyrule bundled himself into his bedroll behind him. 

About an hour after he settled into his own spot, and after he’d done a third walk around the perimeter when he started to feel himself slow, he was inclined to agree with Warriors about how quiet it was. Few insects chirped and there was the faint sound of clattering bones off just outside the range of the fire which he and Four had been periodically tossing smaller branches from one of the wood bundles Wild had left out to be fed into the fire. 

Only the crackling of the fire was  _ loud _ and even then it wasn’t enough to disturb the eerie quiet that seemed to engulf the world around them. 

Time didn’t like the implications of this silence.  It was like the world was holding its breath.

He hoped they wouldn’t remain here for too long. Hoped that they could take care of whatever it was they were dropped here to defeat and then be on their way.

They were being watched from  _ somewhere _ , the gaze was piercing through him, almost like it was judging his actions. Bad enough he could have sworn there was a clattering of armor that even Four had heard.

By the time the night turned over to the start of the last shift, nothing of note had happened beyond the only time both of them had been alerted by metal clinging together during his and Four’s shift. It left him on edge and wary as he passed what the others and himself had seen and heard onto Twilight. He didn’t show it with his gaze as he carefully caught Twilights arm before he settled into his own bedroll again, but there was apprehension in his hold. “Keep your eyes peeled.  _ Something _ isn’t right, I don’t think it’s just stals watching us.”

Twilight nodded. “I’ll keep my eyes and ears peeled. I won’t wander either.”

“Good, stay sharp.” Time let go of the youngers’ arm and he settled himself back in his bedroll, sans mail, one hand staying on the hilt of his sword. He was ready for whatever was going to happen.

At least thats’ what he had thought as he drifted off and then woke up to a sword tip resting against his throat, flat on his back to the sound of a terrifyingly familiar and paralyzing screech. He was staring up into his own  _ much _ younger and faintly scarred face. Two different eye colors,  right blue, left red stared down at him unfeeling, hopeless, cold,  _ empty _ . This was  _ not _ what he was expecting to see.

“Why are you trespassing upon the lands of King Ganondorf?”

The whole campsite went  _ silent _ . The scuffles the others were dealing with ending in their captors favor. A pin would have rang with the quiet. A choked word finally broke free from Time’s throat as he stared up at the other.

“What?!”


	2. Ambush (Link-Fallen)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No serious warnings beyond the presence of a ReDead and threats of bodily harm.

Link had been ordered to track down the disturbance that had rippled across Hyrule to reach the King’s chambers. He had felt it as had the Princess in her gilded cage. His left eye  _ throbbed _ from the most recent use of his vision which had allowed Ganondorf to tell him his new orders. It was a quick task to gather his armor and his weapons before he set out. 

He quickly gathered a squad of stalfos as well as one ReDead to go with. The ReDead shambled after them, its breath rattling in his throat and behind it’s teeth, slowing their pace down further than he wished, but not as much as it could have had he gathered a few more to go with. Thankfully the monsters no longer terrified him, and the spell he’d been  _ reluctantly _ taught allowed him to have some control over them. He only needed this one to help subdue whoever was behind the ripple after all. Ganondorf wanted them alive and brought them to him.

Stepping out into the silence of Castletown market he glanced around, the few remaining townspeople having hidden away in the buildings and shut doors as soon as they heard the sounds of the squad approaching. Link envied them, their cowardice allowed them relative freedom as long as they didn’t rise up. Both of his eyes trailed over to the ruins of the Temple of Time, the sword that he’d been told to take up buried underneath the rubble of the sealed chamber.

Memories were brought back that he didn’t want to think about as he tore his gaze away from it and led those with him out of the silent city. 

Link remembered meeting Zelda after being given the Kokiri Emerald from the forest he grew up in, from the being who raised him upon his own death thanks to Gohma’s curse. Being sent to Hyrule Castle to speak to the princess, only to be given the task of saving the world as a 10 year old boy. He’d never set foot outside the Kokiri Forest, Kokiri would die if they left the protective cover of the Great Deku Tree’s magic, everyone knew that.

He hadn’t though. He wouldn’t have unless he’d returned to the forest without the fairy that had been sent with him. Getting the other two stones after Zelda had told him what was at stake had left him hoping that that would be the end of it. Nearly being crushed in the Dondogo’s cavern getting the Goron’s Ruby and then frozen in Jabu-Jabu’s belly taking back the Zora’s Sapphire, he was already done with  _ everything _ . 

The fairy that had been with him had been scared too. She’d said as much several times while she helped guide him. But he hadn’t realized  _ how _ scared she was when he had been told that he needed to go to the Temple of Time and place the gem on the pedestal. He hadn’t even placed the last gem before the doors to the Temple were blasted open by a powerful spell and Navi  _ fled _ with panicked and fearful chimes.

The fairy that was meant to be his guide, his friend,  _ companion _ fled and vanished into the night. She left him to face the monster of a man that swiftly cornered the young boy. The Zora’s Sapphire clattered to the ground from his fingers as Link had backed away, trying to find a way to get past the man. 

It didn’t matter though. A spell snapped around him and dragged him forward into the outstretched hand where the magic originated. Link had gagged around the grip that was on his throat. Fingers scrambling violently, digging blunt fingernails into the fabric on the Gerudo males’ forearms. He kicked out with short legs, hoping to get himself free but it too didn’t matter.

He was held in place like that for a few moments, just long enough to have the image of Ganondorf’s vicious smirk burned into his mind. Each kick had weakened as his breathing grew labored and his fingers tugged almost limply on the material under them.

10 years old and he was given an ultimatum.

_”Little would-be hero, your quest ends here one way or another. Your companion fled, quite possibly already killed by one in my army. But I_ ** _am_** _feeling generous. I give you a choice, join me or I will end your life.”_

Link regretted it. He was a coward as a child, all alone at that point, and he paid the price.

Two witches, the very ones who had raised the newly crowned King from birth, had taken him from Ganondorf’s hands and he didn’t see the light of day for almost three full years. Link knew exactly what the man had wanted out of him, as soon as it happened in fact. An obedient soldier. An attack dog.

An  _ unquestioning _ servant.

Ganondorf got what he wished and when Link was presented to the King upon his request, the man had sealed his fate with the spell he cast upon his left eye. A spell which allowed the caster to look through the recipients affected eye at any time. A way to ensure that Link remained loyal and on a leash.

It worked. 

Sort of. Link hadn’t been broken down fully by the Twinrova and he had seen the destruction that had been done in his captivity. He still held a shred of his Courage, even after Farore herself had set about punishing him in her own way in his dreams. He still bore the Triforce, Ganondorf had been  _ thankfully _ unable to remove it from him, but he was always forced to respond to the man’s wishes.

The first encounter he had with Zelda upon his release didn’t go well at all. She had been forced into attendance in the dining hall while Link had stood silently at the King’s elbow. Shock , relief, confusion, then  _ fury _ lit it’s way across the Princess’s face when he lifted his head at Ganondorf’s order. He’d refused to meet her eyes beyond a brief glance.

_ ”Do you see Princess? The hope you held no longer stands. Your hero is under my command, not yours. The little rebellion you’ve been trying to lead will crumble as soon as they realize you have truly lost this.” _

Link had fought the urge to pull away from the hand that came down on top of his head in a mockery of an affectionate gesture. He held firm and swallowed thickly before glancing up to Zelda’s face again. Impa had been nowhere in sight, but he had already known that thanks to Koume cackling about having another prisoner to torment shortly after the turn of his first year in captivity.

He remembered Impa’s screams when they finally broke her. The screams haunted his dreams when he  _ did _ dream.

A rattle of bones and the chittering of the stalchildren out on the vastness of Hyrule Field drew him out of his thoughts and he looked to the source. Two of his own had broken off to approach their brethren, exchanging information and Link listened, waiting as he learned what they had seen and tracked on their own merit.

He straightened up as the pair that were part of his squad returned to him, speaking quickly in their own choppy and broken tongue.  _ “Nine appear by valley open. Armed and heavy armored. Take shifts, one rotate now to next.” _

Link looked up past the crumbling ruins of LonLon Ranch  _ the memory of a bright smile and a horse whinny cutting through him _ to the barely seen entrance to Gerudo Valley, his eye allowing him to easily see in the darkness. The faintest glimmer of light was present against the cliff face to the north side of the entrance and he frowned faintly. Silently he mentally assessed what would be done. Obviously they would have to spring an ambush rather quickly, catch the group off guard. If they were doing two to a shift, they would need to see who was on the last two shifts and he would decide from there the best moment to attack.

“Create a perimeter around them. Leave no openings for them to get free. The ReDead and I will take care of them once we get there, don’t let any leave. If you  _ must _ engage them, injuries only.  _ Nothing _ fatal. The king wants them alive and capable of answering his questions.” There was a soft round of bones clicking and shifting as the squad and the free roaming stal’s all agreed and moved on ahead. 

Being left with the ReDead wasn’t what he was aiming for, but it allowed him to return to his previous train of thoughts, not worried about the monster turning on him. 

After he’d been released he’d been  _ thrown _ into training with the few Gerudo warriors that remained in Castletown. All five of the women were ordered to turn him into the weapon that Ganondorf had wanted. They succeeded.

He was dangerous to challenge by the time he turned fifteen and almost unbeatable by seventeen. Only Ganondorf still beat him whenever his King chose to spar with him, usually leaving him  _ brutally _ beaten into the ground and left to nurse his injuries to the best of his abilities. The only time he came close to beating Ganondorf in combat, the King had decided that he was strong enough to be set another task. One he readily did whenever he was ordered because it allowed him to escape his current timeline, his fate. If only for a few days.

Thanks to the Triforce and Ganondorf interfering with the time stream itself on several ends, he was sent  _ through _ time to a parallel period and locked within a soundless and cold watery room after the King of that time regained enough strength to bind him there from pulling him through. His features were blurred into a perfect mirror through dark magic and Ganondorf was capable of watching what happened every time, but he cared little for that beyond the fact that he was given relative freedom to test his opponent. 

Himself.

One who still had their fairy thanks to his own hand, the threats he made to her  _ every single time _ she tried to flee.

One who still held the childlike innocence he had long since lost to the hands of the Twinrova and bore the scars of their touch.

One who was still  _ loved _ by the Goddesses and even granted blessings to use when he needed their aid.

He had none of that. But he soldiered on and kept moving forward, doing  _ everything _ in his power to keep pushing his other self forward after a harsh battle. He never won. Refused to, but he  _ didn’t _ pull any of his blows. The other Link had to work for it, he never went easy on any of the parallel Link’s. That form was always weightless and he used it to his advantage every time. 

He was never punished for failing in killing the Hero, not severely at least which had him wary every time he came back. But Ganondorf  _ always _ made sure to keep an eye on his actions for some time after he returned. His relative freedom was tightened for that time as well, keeping him confined to the castle and his duty to guarding Zelda’s rooms or continuing his training in the yard against the Gerudo women.

It was an unending cycle that he would never end up breaking free of without the intervention of the Goddesses, again the punishment for failing them. He deserved it. 

Age nineteen, here he was, the pseudo commander of King Ganondorf’s army. One of the most hated and reviled people still living in Hyrule. The King’s attack dog, his butcher, his executioner. Yet he was nothing more than a  _ slave _ to the man, bound tightly to the other with no chance for the spell to be broken. Not unless Ganondorf keeled over one day.

One last time he was drawn out of his thoughts, the faint sound of a fire crackling reaching his ears as well as the chitters of the stalchildrens’ words. The ReDead at his side crouched into it’s resting position, ready to be called upon. 

The previous report was accurate, two were on watch. One tall male who had his back to the northern half of the camp while a much shorter figure was walking part of the perimeter before settling back down. The stalchildren were restless, but he shook his head, not wanting to alert either of the pair who were obviously alert to what was going on around them. 

His armor creaked faintly, rust flaking off of the breast plate where his pauldrons slid across the surface, as he knelt down dropping himself down behind the line of the small skeletal beings for extra cover as he watched the sleeping camp. The mail of his fauld and tasset creaked as well with the motion. Metal scraping lightly against his greaves and sabatons, drew the attention of the taller member of the watch and Link froze upon seeing that face.

Staring out into the darkness of where the crowd of stalchildren covered him, was himself. Older, and with visible differences, but it was likely the first version of himself that he had challenged. The other and older Link stood up and stepped a little ways forward out of the light of the fire, still close enough to keep the stalchildren at bay for now.

The action drew the attention of the smaller and he too stood up, his own sword drawn and at the ready. Around Link, the stalchildren quieted down, shifting nervously as the pair stared out at them, eyes searching for something that they knew was there but couldn’t see. They were far enough away that Link couldn’t hear what they had said between them but it didn’t matter. 

Soon enough both of them settled back down, slightly more tense than before, eyes scanning their surroundings, and tension lining their frames. He would have to wait until his counterpart was sleeping. Night would last for several more hours after all, he had all the time in the world to make this work, but it would be far easier to subdue sleeping people than those conscious.

Little over a half hour later, his eyes having never left the other Link, they rotated out with two more members of their group. The quiet exchanges being too soft for him to hear, but he guessed internally that he was warning the young man he traded with about the odd noises he’d heard. 

Link’s left eye  _ burned _ and he lost vision in it while he felt the presence of the King press against the magic to see what was taking him so long to bring back the source of his curiosity. He bit his tongue harshly as there was a sharp pull on his vision again and a low laugh echoed in his ear with words that had left him slightly confused.

" _ What a unique opportunity this is… Nine incarnations of the Hero… Bring them to me, my loyal knight. I wish to speak with them all.” _ It was a long moment before he nodded and Ganondorf’s presence vanished, leaving him breathless and half blind.

He closed his left eye, and brought up a hand to cover it, teeth grit as he waited for the pain to fade. It took a handful of minutes before he pulled his palm away from his face, peeling his eyelid open to blink rapidly for a few moments to readjust to the sudden violence of the light of the fire. When he had readjusted to his vision being returned to him, he stood up slowly, making note of where each individual hero was laying. 

The ReDead uncurled and slowly stood up, taking a shambling step forward before it stopped to await further orders. Link lifted a hand and began directing the horde of stalchildren around him to positions that would result in swift capture. All of them were surprisingly stealthy now, barely clicking with any steps they took as they closed in on the camp. At a gesture once the ReDead was within range, a deep rattling wheezy breath was drawn in.

The hero that Link’s counterpart had switched out with twisted around at the sound, alarm clearly on his face. But before he could do little more than open his mouth, the ReDead wailed. Its scream echoing along the wall of the cliff, locking all of the now alert hero’s in place as he moved through the camp, drawing his sword from behind his circular shield upon his back, and resting it carefully against the hollow of his counterpart’s throat.

A single blue eye met his own mismatched eyes, a spark of fear and some sort of unknown emotion in the others face as his muscles slowly began to relax from the paralysis. “Why are you trespassing upon the lands of King Ganondorf?”

The other hero’s had already started to struggle as the stalchildren swarmed the camp, piling on top of one another to keep their targets pinned down. His question had  _ all _ of them freezing once again, but he paid it no mind as he continued to hold the others gaze. 

He shifted his hold on his sword minutely as he watched the one beneath his blade swallow before he choked on his word. ” _ What?!” _

“You heard me. I know your ears are in perfect working order, you heard me moving around out in the darkness earlier. But to humor you, why are you trespassing upon the lands of King Ganondorf?” It was harsh, he knew this, but at the moment he just wanted to be done with this. It would take the ReDead a few moments longer to gather the strength again to scream, but he believed he could hold them in place long enough for that to happen.

Bones clattering to his left had him turning his head slightly, the tip of his blade pressing down a little more firmly to prevent the other from moving as he sought out the source of the disturbance. The hero that had been on watch over there was twisting back and forth, dislodging a few of the stals that were wrapped around him, but by the time he managed to get one arm free the ReDead took in another rattling breath, ready. 

“I would stop now before it screams again. A hylian heart can only take so many of their screams before they give out from fear in a short time span.” His tone was flat but firm. Half of the group were younger than him that he could tell, they could only handle two, maybe three more of the fear setting screams, regardless of their bravery and courage.

He refused to react, seeing another familiar face there. One he still saw in the task that Farore set for him, repeating over and over again. Something in his words or actions must have registered because the other froze again and he was flicking his eyes back and forth between Link and the one beneath his sword. The ghost of a smirk drew across his face as the color drained out of that hero’s face.


	3. Unexpected (Link-Fallen)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No serious warnings here either beyond the ReDead and allusions of death/murder.

“W-Wouldn’t that apply to you too then?” Link turned his eyes to the other side where one of the smaller hero’s was pinned down firmly. All of them were pale as bone thanks to the ReDead’s scream, and he was clearly putting on a brave face, eyes darting between Link and the ReDead a few feet behind him.

“No. I’m immune to the effects of their scream.” _Constant exposure over short periods of times with barely enough time to recover did that to him._ Not that he would tell any of them this. “I’ll ask one last time. _Why are you trespassing here?"_

None of them answered him as he looked around at them all, fixing each one with a long stare before he turned his attention back down to the hero on the ground under his sword. ”Will you answer me?”

The silence continued to weigh in the small clearing, only the weak sounds of the remains of the fire that hadn’t been snuffed out breaking up the tension with the occasional pop from the wood. His eyes narrowed slightly and he huffed. “Tie their hands. Ten of you gather their weapons and armor. We need to return to the castle.”

It was like a flame had lit up at that announcement. All of the hero’s started thrashing in the hold of their captors and Link growled under his breath. Curses were thrown about and a few limbs were freed once again before a quick flick of his hand had the ReDead screaming again. The paralysis happening a second time so soon after the first locked _all_ of the other hylians in place, allowing the stalchildren to pin their prisoners down on the ground.

The ones that had been taken in their bedrolls were rolled over to their stomachs and each one of them had their hands pulled behind their backs, tied quickly and roughly with little room for wiggling free. Only the one beneath Links’ sword remained unbound, and even then it wouldn’t be for long. Once the others were taken care of and pulled up to their feet by the taller Stalfos; did the stalchildren begin gathering their things.

Before the ReDead’s scream wore off of Links’ counterpart he put his sword away and knelt down to roll the other over onto his face to do the same thing. Once the others arms were secured properly he looked up to see where the progress was on gathering up their camp. A group of the skeletons were hovering hesitantly around one of the packs, chattering their teeth and clicking their bones.

“ _Danger sword. Bright, harm maker. Not touch, burn bad.”_ Link’s eyes narrowed again as he stood up. 

“What is taking so long?” His words were clipped, but not harsh as they were still simple beings. He approached the small group and they parted, turning their heads to look up at him. Something akin to fear was in the way they looked at him and he looked over the pack only to freeze upon seeing the sword in a beautifully decorated sheath.

Link knew this blade. The sting of its cut, the bite of its slice, the burn of its _light_ upon the false skin he wore in the Water Temple. He knew that the blade itself wouldn’t irreversibly hurt him, but it wouldn’t make his life easy were he to touch it barehanded. Behind him the hero’s coming out of the paralysis started quietly cursing and struggling where they were being held up by their arms.

His focus however remained on the blade in front of him. Apprehension was in his posture as he slowly reached for the scabbard, not daring to touch the hilt. Link’s hand nearly made contact with it before there was a yelp and a snarl of anger behind him and he turned to see what had happened.

The hero with pink in his hair was thrashing and lashing out with his legs, twisting himself back and forth by his shoulders and arms. Doing a good job at it too, but the magic holding his captors together was stronger. Upon realizing that he had Links’ attention his face turned murderous. “You! You’re the fucking reason Hyrule fell! _You’re the piece of shit that caused all of the bullshit that I had to go through!"_

Link was taken aback slightly before he pressed his lips together firmly and he closed his hand around the scabbard and stood up, turning to face the one talking. “I don’t know who most of you even _are_. All I am doing is following my orders and that is to take you to the King. Alive and unharmed if possible.”

Fury was on that ones face and he continued to thrash and struggle. “We were told that you had fallen in battle! But you fucking _joined_ that son of a bitch!”

The sword in his hands thrummed in warning as he tightened his hold around the scabbard and he clenched his jaw slightly. He kept his gaze locked with that one and moved forward catching one ankle in his free hand when he kicked out. When the other unrestrained foot came up at his face he neatly leaned to one side and twisted the limb in his grip, dangerously close to possibly breaking the delicate bones within the ankle. 

All of the others were frozen in place again at this ones sudden inhale of pain. He held the foot in his grasp at that unnatural angle for a few moments before relaxing the grip and carefully moving it back to a resting position. “You should really learn to curb your tongue before you start spewing things you know nothing about. Keep your mouth shut. If you’re this talkative now, you had best continue talking when we reach the King.”

“If not, I’ll break your ankle right here and now and leave you to suffer the pain of it until we get to Castletown. Do you understand?” Link kept his gaze on the others face until there was a _very_ reluctant nod when he squeezed it again in warning. “Good. Cooperate and I’ll see to it that you’re treated well.”

There was a snort from another one of the heroes at that and he turned to look for the one to did it. All of them were staring at him with defiance and he made a snort in return, dropping the ankle he was holding hostage. He looked to the stalchildren, all encumbered by the weight of packs. “If that is everything we need to get moving before the sun rises.”

Link moved back over to the one he’d held at sword point and pulled him up to his feet. He ignored the man’s gaze on his face over his shoulder, simply starting forward with a light push to the man’s back. “Get moving.”

The pace was set by the ReDead again, the shamble it made making the journey back long. He wasn’t going to let the creature return on it’s own, they tended to attack civilians when unwatched or left to their own devices. 

_The king didn’t care if the populace suffered, but Link did_ _._

Several times the heroes cursed as they stumbled, being frogmarched as they were, broken only by the rattling breaths of the ReDead and clacks of bone. The group drew closer to the ruins of LonLon Ranch and the one that Link was guiding was staring at it as they began to round the perimeter. There was a point where he had to push roughly between the others shoulders, keeping his eyes forward.

He figured that the elder man was worried about the occupants and he sighed before murmuring, not meeting the others gaze when he whipped his head around to look at him. “They are still alive. In Kakariko Village.”

There was a beat before anything was said and Link could hear the anger bubbling under the words hissed back at him. “Why are they in Kakariko? They should be running the Ranch without trouble.”

“Because it was safer for them.” He glanced into the field where the horses and cattle had once run free in the wide pasture. It was barren now, only skeletal remains of the unfortunate animals remained, bones being used as weapons by the roaming horde of stal’s within it. “I… They were given the choice to evacuate to Kakariko or they would have joined the remains here. I wasn’t present for what happened.”

They rounded the rest of LonLon Ranch and continued towards the steadily nearing entrance of Castletown. The once pristine white bricked gates now blackened with soot and grime and all manner of other things. Currently the drawbridge was up, but at the approach of their group a sharp horn sounded and it lowered slowly. 

Chains creaked and the sound of rust grinding was audible at this distance. It was settled firmly within moments and the portcullis was lifted only moments after. The whole group trudged across the bridge without trouble, which _did_ surprise Link a bit as they had been violently against going to the castle in the first place. 

He was wary, but he kept his goal in sight, the Castle itself.

Too bad that some of his plans never went through correctly.

The shriek of a whistle was his only warning and he had just enough time to yank the hero in front of him back as an arrow sliced through the skin of Link’s left cheek, barely passing the others face. Blood slid freely down his face from the wound and pandemonium erupted around him. 

Blasts of smoke _filled_ the marketplace and almost instantly all of the stalchildren and stalfos were dispatched by the actions of the unseen attackers. Yelps and curses were scattered through the group of hero’s as their captors were shattered and collapsed. He shoved the hero to the side and brought the scabbard and blade in his other hand up, the flat of the sheath resting against his forearm as he blocked a downward strike of another blade.

Now with his freed hand he reached back to pull his own sword free, twisting sideways as the blade darted out from the now billowing smoke swirled around him. His blade parried another strike from his right, metal screeching against metal. A wince at the intensity of the sound spurred him into shoving out with both hands before he dropped the Master Sword itself in favor of using better control and force.

Both of his smoke shrouded enemies began a relentless assault upon him, driving him backwards away from the group. A broken and powerless scream ripped through the nonstop blows, indicating that the ReDead had been killed and he grit his teeth as another sword joined the currently one sided fight. Had the air been clear of the smoke pellets he would have been better off, capable of taking down the vigilantes fighting him easily.

But again, things were _not_ in his favor.

The magic surrounding his eye flared again and he missed a block as pain flared when Ganondorf obviously had grown impatient with their lack of arrival. The collision of the attackers blade striking his pauldron near his ear sent his equilibrium off balance from the sharpness of the tone. Smooth metal sliding over flaking rust ringing through the air sent him staggering. He closed his right eye, blinding himself to the world around him as he had no sight through his left thanks to Ganondorf.

_"What is taking so long my Knight_?”

Link snapped his eye open just in time to dodge a wild swing aimed for his ribs. His blade slicing through the air as another sword clanged off of the blade. The burning continued to grow in the left side of his face, the magic steadily growing more active. He knew that his left iris was glowing crimson now because his attackers hesitated to continue to strike at him. 

” _Dispatch these pathetic rebels and bring me our guests. Immediately.”_

The snap back of his vision being returned to him threw him further off balance and the ones attacking him took advantage of his momentary incapacitation once the glow was gone. Three blades sang through the air at him, the block he made was hasty and one blade managed to get past his guard, slicing cleanly through the straps holding the bracer on his right forearm, dropping the piece of armor to the ground with a clatter and through the fabric of his undershirt sleeve.

Link watched his vision blur and he blinked rapidly in an effort to clear it faster. Teeth grit tightly he stepped backwards, lashing out with his blade in a sweep meant to buy him a few steps. Weight however slammed into his side as he overstretched and he hit the ground harshly, rolling a few feet before he came to a stop flat on his back, his head spinning from the collision. 

His shield was no longer on his back, and when he blinked his eyes open he stared up at the tip of a blade resting above his face, specifically his left eye. Sheikah red stared down at him, fury in the figures face from behind the face mask. “So the _King’s_ lapdog falls in a fight like this? How pathetic…”

The venom in the persons tone was not unexpected at all, nor was the fact they placed their foot upon the center of his breastplate, keeping him down. Link could have gotten out of this, had he not had the blade now hovering an inch above his eye. His gaze narrowed slightly and he let the grip he held his with sword go lax. The foot on his breastplate moved just long enough to kick it out of his reach before it was placed back down firmly.

“Not really a fight, more like guerilla tactics. Just like _all_ Sheikah. Fight me fairly and you wouldn’t be saying this.”

A bark of laughter left their throat before a sneer twisted across the face under the mask’s cover. “A fair fight would see you cheating just like your fucking _King_ does. Traitor.”

Link frowned faintly up at the other. “I only do as I’m told, not like I have a choice in the matter.”

“You have more choice than any of us ever did.”

That brought a returned bark of bitter laughter from Link before he shook his head. With his left hand he brought his hand up to that eye and tapped the side of his face, beneath the faintest outline of the curse seal with a finger. The Sheikah warrior tensed and the tip of the blade above his eye shook faintly. A mirthless smile was on his face, the crease never reaching his eyes. “I’m bound tighter than you lot seem to think.”

Hurry up Sheik, we have some people to get back to safety.” 

Link glanced over at the group that was being given their things and passing around packs. There were about a dozen other Sheikah milling about, checking over the heroes as well as making sure that all of the enemies were down and not getting back up. One hero had picked up the Master Sword and had pulled it close to his chest. He was watching Link with a confused look in his eyes. Fingers were clenched tightly around the scabbard and they nearly turned white as he watched before a foot nudged his thigh.

Turning his gaze back up to the sheikah, Sheik, had pulled the weapon back just enough to let him move. “Out of your armor. Leave it where you drop it and put your hands behind your back or I’ll cut off an ear.”

He raised a brow but did as asked. Effectively he _was_ unarmed and was now surrounded by over a dozen opponents. Eight of which he did _not_ know how they fought or what tactics they knew and used. Sheikah he knew how to handle, when they weren’t using smoke bombs like candies, or when he wasn’t transporting people to the castle.

Piece by piece the rusted armor was unbuckled and taken off. Leaving him in his ripped undershirt and trousers. His feet were bare as the boots he wore were specially made with the armor as part of them rather than a separate piece. Once he was on his feet properly he stared at the warrior still holding him at sword point and brought his hands behind his back. She made a gesture and he flinched as cold metal wrapped around his wrists with a click from shackles that another Sheikah put on him. 

He cursed internally at not having noticed that one but he did glance over his shoulder to them. Link didn’t recognize this one, but that didn’t mean anything for who they were as the Sheikah were more than willing to train regular Hylians for the rebellion. As it was, the man behind him didn’t have the tell-tale Sheikah eye color, but also not the typical Hylian color. His attention was drawn forward back to the one who captured him and they had resheathed the short blade at the small of their back.

“Are the nine of you capable of moving fast? We need to get out of Castletown as swiftly as possible before the Usurper sends any forces down to bring back his _pet knight_.” Sheik didn’t even look at Link when they said it, but he could hear the venom in their words and he felt the corners of his eyes tighten in his own anger. The man behind him had a hand firmly on the chain connecting the cuffs on his wrists, ready to move once the signal was given.

His counterpart stepped forward, an odd look in his eye as he watched Sheik. “We’re capable. None of us were hurt physically.”

“Speak for yourself Time, my ankle still fucking _hurts_.” The one who’s ankle Link had turned in threat was sneering at him, his hand wrapped firmly around the hilt of his own faintly glowing sword. 

No one said anything for a moment, before his cou- _Time_ spoke again after glancing over to the one who spoke. “Beyond the ReDead’s scream and his ankle we weren’t harmed.”

Sheik’s eyes narrowed and when they turned to look at Link, he’d made his face as unreadable as he could manage. They seemed to search for something in his face. “Odd, normally he doesn’t leave people without injuries.”

It took a well of self control to not snap at the other, instead he clenched his jaw and took in a slow breath through his nose before he spoke, his voice low. “Orders were bring them in unharmed if possible.”

“From the Usurper? I highly doubt that.” Sheik turned their back to him and started across the marketplace towards the gate. “Let’s move. We have to clear a path through the Field as it is. Steady pace, we’ll be back before sunrise.”

Link moved before the hand at his back started pushing him, not wanting the indignity of being shoved off of his feet. Each of the hero’s ahead of him had weapons slung over their backs and their bags or packs in hand. They all sent glances back to him where he was and he simply met each of their eyes once before moving to the next.

Some were wary, some were outright _furious_ , and one in particular was watching him like he’d seen a ghost. Time, the only one he had a name for was unreadable like he, himself was and met his gaze before setting off, the brisk pace seemingly easy for all of them. None of them said anything to him, instead choosing to whisper amongst themselves


	4. Leash (Time)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No serious warnings besides Ganondorf being a fucker.
> 
> Now with art by the lovely Aufi!

Time didn’t know what to make of his younger counterpart. He knew the other was younger, and that he was a _very_ skilled swordsman from the brief glimpses he’d had during the ambush that the Sheikah had sprang. Also, what he had said about the Malon and Talon from this time being in Kakariko rather than on their Ranch, that had him a little off balance.

Sky hadn’t said a single thing since he’d retrieved the Master Sword from where the other had dropped her in his rush to defend himself. His sailcloth was back around his shoulders, pulled firmly around himself like a blanket as he held the blade close, head bowed as he listened to the spirit with it. Warriors at his side was the only reason he was still walking in the direction they were being guided to. 

Warriors had a murderous look upon his face before they had even gotten to Castletown, what Legend had screamed at Link having hit home harshly for the Captain and Time could see that he was restraining himself from cutting the other down. He didn’t handle traitors well, not that Time blamed him. Time remembered Warriors’ pained looks whenever he had to cut down a fellow and former Hylian soldier on the battlefield before that pain turned to upset and anger and then that anger into a fury for any traitors who turned their back to the Crown.

Wind and Four were both pale, somewhat sluggish as well, obviously still suffering the lingering effects that ReDeads caused. They were on either side of Twilight and Wild towards the middle of the group. Twilight kept throwing glances over his shoulder, eyes darting between himself and the younger version of him a half dozen steps behind him. 

His pup still looked like he’d seen a ghost and it had only gotten worse as they had left their campsite up to now. Twilight had his arm around Four’s shoulder, keeping the smaller as steady as possible while also providing himself something to _sort_ of distract himself with. Wild had an arm around Wind, letting the youngest hero in their group lean on his side. Time remembered Wind had his own kind of ReDead in his Hyrule, but there was always a difference between the time periods that _did_ have the monsters, or variations of them. 

He turned his attention to where Legend and Hyrule were at the front of their group, Legend walking stiffly with a faint limp, his sword back in its sheath on his back. Legend had yet to look behind him since they had left the marketplace, intent on putting as much distance between himself and the one who had initially caught them. Hyrule on the other hand was throwing cautious looks over his shoulder much like Twilight was, practically gluing himself to Legends side.

Pairs of their Sheikah guides were flickering in and out of the immediate group, dispatching the groups of stal’s that roamed the Field. The one known as Sheik was one of the two who didn’t leave the group itself, sticking close to Time’s side instead. The other was the one leading the younger Link behind them.

They looked _very_ similar to his own Sheik, but he wasn’t going to assume that this was the Zelda of this time. It _was_ possible, but there was the chance that it _wasn’t_ and he wasn’t going to take that risk not without knowing the history here and _why_ he had sided with Ganondorf. Something about all of this was _off_.

“You’re staring at me. Why?” Sheik was watching him out of the corner of their eye, moving with a cat-like grace that he distinctly remembered his own having.

Time blinked, not having realized that he _was_ staring and he broke his gaze away from Sheik. “Sorry. You look like someone I knew when I was younger.”

“Hmph, not likely.” 

A small quirk of his lips was visible for a moment before he glanced back at his younger counterpart. Two-toned eyes briefly met his before looking away to the left side of the group where they were travelling along the cliff face towards Kakariko. He held his tongue on asking where they were going, not wanting to bring any more suspicion down on their heads than already probably was on them. Besides, fo all he knew the Sheikah could have moved further past Kakariko into the mountain itself to one of the safe Haven's he remembered Impa telling him of long ago.

Instead he looked out towards LonLon ranch again, feeling a pang of hurt once again at the sight of the rubble and ruins. “What happened here?”

Sheik actually snapped their attention towards him fully, eyes narrowed and lips thinned behind the mask covering their face. For a long uncomfortable silence they stared at him as they walked before they followed Time’s eye. “The Usurper happened. Nine years ago he performed a coup and over threw the Royal family. The Princess is the only survivor that we know of and she’s under 24 hour guard in a castle tower.”

“The traitor behind us _joined_ him and we only know who he is thanks to one of the few messages the Princess was able to send out before her nanny, my first teacher, my m- _Impa_ , went missing.” Sheik kept their voice lower, not letting it carry back judging by the lack of reaction from the one being spoken about.

“Any idea what happened?” Time murmured softly, a sinking feeling in his chest. This wasn’t the Zelda of the time, if the Princess herself was still in the Castle under guard, but the mannerisms so far were still eerily similar.

A shrug lifted Sheik’s shoulders. “Nothing concrete. We just know she was taken for interrogation after the end of the first year of the Usurpers reign and not a single one of our already few agents in the Castle ever saw her or found her. We assume she’s dead, dying while she protected the Princess to her best ability, but we don’t know for sure.” 

Behind them there was a shift of fabric and Time looked over his shoulder to see Link staring at Sheik and him. Something in the others eyes had him narrow his own, but upon realizing he’d been caught staring at them, his gaze was averted. Time hummed softly for a moment before he looked ahead again, dead and dried grass giving way to the stone and dirt lined path leading towards Kakariko Village. “I think he might know what happened.”

“It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s the _reason_ she’s gone.” _That_ caught Time off guard. The poisonous tone to Sheiks voice had his eye turned back to them again, unease bubbling up slightly. “He’s the Usurpers’ _loyal pet_ . The man says jump, _he_ asks how high. So him being the reason Impa is gone would not surprise me one fucking bit.”

What he was about to say hurt deeply, but he _did_ want to know the answer. “Why didn’t you kill him then in the Marketplace when you had the chance?”

“He has answers. Answers we _need_ and we won’t let him die until we get them.” The words were sharp, but Time understood why they _were_ keeping him alive. Even though he did _not_ like the way that the Sheikah handled some things regarding the safety of the Crown. “He’s going to rot in a prison cell after we get the answers we need. The elder _might_ be generous and put him out of his misery if we manage to save Princess Zelda.”

“Doubtful…” It was murmured. But loud enough for them to hear the other Link’s voice. Sheik whipped around and stopped, staring furiously at the male.

“What does that mean?” 

“You won’t be able to get her free because the wards around her room are keyed to only two people. The King, and myself.” The focus that the other held on Sheik’s face was intense. It wasn’t mocking either. Blunt, factual, no room to argue from the tone. “You wouldn’t be able to get into the tower itself at all, not even scaling the side of it would get you to her.”

The snarl that ripped free from Sheiks’ throat drew the attention of the others, the group as a while coming to a stop to look back at them. “Why should we believe you? You fell from the grace of the Goddesses when you sided with him.”

“Did I?”

That simple non-answer drew Sheik up short, surprise on their face before it was quickly hidden by their fury once again. Time snapped a hand out to catch Sheik by the arm before they could lunge forward at the other. Only his own half-remembered lessons he’d been taught kept him from being on the receiving end of a flip and he simply pulled the smaller backwards away from the target of their ire. 

“You did! As soon as you failed to do the quest given to you, you failed th-! _Let go of me_!” 

Time didn’t let go until they were several paces further up the path to the rest of the group, dragging the Sheikah with him. His shin would be bruised where Sheik had kicked him seven or so times to get him to let them go, but he didn’t want the other to be responsible for the death of the one they had been trying to capture.

“Enough, don’t rise to his bait, and _you_ , stop baiting them.” He turned his attention back to the ones further down the path and his counterpart simply shrugged before starting forward again without being prompted. When he drew level with the pair, Time tightened his hold on Sheik’s arm in waring. Once he was past them, Sheik ripped their arm free from Time’s now relaxed grip.

“I wasn’t going to _kill_ him.”

“No, but you _were_ going to hurt him.”

“He deserves it!”

“That may be, but he’s a prisoner now. I know Sheikah treat their important prisoners better than this unless they are being uncooperative.” Time pinned the other in place with a disappointed stare. One he knew _always_ stopped his group from doing stupid things for a while.

Sheik worked their jaw for a few moments, speechless before huffing in frustration and turning to stalk ahead. They brushed past Link, not even looking at him and beyond Legend and Hyrule who were still at the front. 

Link said nothing, simply leaned aside to avoid the other as they brushed past him and he kept his eyes focused on the path ahead. Time sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose before he sighed and caught up to Link and his guard on their right. A glance was given to him by the guard, but Link didn’t do anything but keep his gaze focused ahead of him.

Time watched the others face, noticing the similarities as well as the differences between them both. His own hair was short, but this younger version had longer hair, like how he once did when he was closer to that age. The ponytail his hair was in, was half out of the tie, the fight he’d been in knocking it loose. It wasn’t as long as Wild’s hair was, only coming down half way past his shoulder blades, while Wilds was skirting his mid-back. Only one ear was pierced that he had noticed from what he’d seen before, the left lobe having been torn and healed if he remembered right. 

Looking closer at the others face he noticed little pinprick scars along the bottom part of his face, particularly around his mouth and Time’s eye narrowed slightly. Those kinds of scars were familiar but he couldn’t place them, instead he put that thought away and continued to make his observations. He also had a narrow scar that he barely noticed that crossed the right corner of his lip. _Dried blood was on his cheek and chin and had dripped onto his shirt collar from the slice on his cheek, but he could do nothing at the moment about it._

Link was rather broad shouldered compared to what Time remembered himself being near that age, but he figured it was because of what he was doing. The armor the other had been wearing before he’d been ordered to leave it behind was heavy. Likely just as heavy as the armor he wore himself. He’d only been wearing his own for a handful of years, Link looked like he’d been wearing it from a much younger age and grew into it.

Time was only an inch taller than the other, but that could be pointed at him still having his boots on unlike Link who was barefoot now. He moved like a soldier, footsteps sure and done with a purpose. Although with how many sharp rocks they had been stepping across as they continued up the path to Kakariko, he was surprised that the other hadn’t sliced his feet open.

He was broken out of his thoughts when Link stumbled and hissed violently through his teeth and clamped his eyes shut, shying towards the left. “ _Fuck_! Not now!”

That drew the attention of the group ahead of them and everyone turned back to face them. Time moved to stand in front of his counterpart as the Sheikah guard behind Link took firm hold of his upper arms. In confusion, Time furrowed his brow, questioning the other. “Not now what?”

“Shove my head down and don’t let me look up! Just do it!” There was a spark of familiar and very _dark_ magic that Time recognized and he did as asked, pulling the others head down with both hands, bowing him over even as the magic _flared_. 

  
Link’s breathing was labored sounding and he visibly struggled against Time’s grip. The Sheikah behind Link was watching the struggling man and tightened his grip when Link jerked and tried to force himself upright. Time pushed down harder on the back of the younger man’s head. The sound of a choked gag from Link almost had him pulling his hands back but he stopped as soon as he heard the hauntingly familiar voice he’d never wished to hear again.

” _So, I see my knight failed to follow orders and has been captured. By Sheikah I‘ve no doubt, insolent vermin that you are… But this could be the perfect opportunity_ .” Link lurched again, the muscles in his neck visibly straining against the pressure Time had on his head. A gasp broke free from Link again before the voice of Ganondorf spoke again through the others mouth. “ _Do me a favor my_ **_dear_ ** _rebels, kill him for me and I may yet let you live. Kill him whenever you please. After all, I have_ **_all_ ** _the time in the world_.”

The magic that was flowing under Time’s hands snapped and Link sagged in the hold of the Sheikah behind him. Coughing echoed the length of the narrow canyon as he struggled to catch his breath. Carefully Time pulled his hands away from the others head and after a moment Link lifted it, left eye clenched tightly shut. The skin of his eyelid and around his eye was an angry inflamed red as was the center of his throat where the voice box was located. Likely from the intensity of the spell cast upon him.

Link swallowed, coughing one more time before he straightened up fully and carefully opened his eye, blinking it rapidly for a few moments. Time waited for the other to speak when he swallowed thickly again. “Th-Thank you…”

Sheik was at their side an instant later, their fist tangling into the front of the others shirt as he was dragged down to their level. “What the fuck was _that_?”

There was a grimace on Link’s face before he spoke again, his voice still rough. “The leash he has on me. That’s what it was.” 

Silence was in the group once again for a long few moments before Sheik let go of him and stepped back, an unreadable expression on their face. Time looked between the two for a moment. Sheik finally spoke again after searching the others eyes for _something_. “Do you know what created this leash?”

“Why should I tell you?”


	5. Twist (Time)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings are mentions of torture, slight description of death, verbal abuse/profanity aimed at a person, and general medieval reactions to humiliation.

“What?”

“Why should I tell you what created it? Give me one valid reason why I should trust you enough to tell you something like that.” 

Sheik stared at the other for several minutes in silence, long enough for the rest of their group to start shifting uncomfortably. Time could faintly see the cogs working in Sheik’s brain before narrowing their eyes, they spoke up with a valid and  _ sound _ reason. “To know how to stop it from happening again. If he can see where you are and what’s going on around you that’s a threat to our safety and that of those who support us.”

There was a quirk of Link’s lips as Time watched the other. “I can give you credit for spinning it that way. But I can’t tell you anyway. I only know the end results and suffer them whenever it’s active. As well as it’s tied to the caster. I’m sure you can guess who that would be.”

An annoyed huff escaped Sheik’s mouth and they crossed their arms, shifting from one foot to the other carefully. “I don’t sense any of his magic actively flowing through it though.”

“You wouldn’t. Not until it’s activated and I know when he’s doing that. It’s why I had him-” Link gestured to Time with his chin. “-shove my head down. You’re treating me better than I had thought you would.”

The last part was murmured so softly Time thought that he had only imagined it, but the guard behind Link shifted slightly and eased up his grip that he’d still had on the youngers arms. Link looked over his shoulder at the man briefly before looking forward again, face once more unreadable as he waited.

Time took the moment after, while Sheik remained silent in thought, to look over his own shoulder to the rest of his group. All of them had stopped and were facing them, various expressions on their faces. Sky was clearly torn still, his grip on the Master Sword white knuckled and the look on his face was almost pained. Warriors, remaining at Sky’s side, still had a stormy look on his own, but it was nowhere near as intense as it had been before. His was almost calculating now.

Behind them, Legend was staring at Link, the intensity in his eyes not dimmed at all. He was still furious, and Hyrule at his side was probably the only reason he  _ hadn’t _ done anything to rectify that anger. Hyrule was watching Link as well, only his brow was furrowed. There was a faint interest sparked in his eyes, from what Time didn’t know quite yet, but he would ask later on.

Twilight, Wild, Four, and Wind had turned to watch them as well. Four was looking steadier on his feet now, but hadn’t bothered to shrug out from under Twilight’s arm, leaning his weight against the taller. Twilight was still pale and was looking everywhere but at Link, even avoiding Time’s eye when the elder had tilted his head in question. Wild was glancing between Twilight and the small group of them with Link, a light of concern in his eyes. Wind was looking pale as well, barely any color had come back to his face. He was leaning into Wild’s side, alert, his fingers tangled in the elder teens cloak at his back for support. 

All of them he knew were wary about  _ this _ development. He couldn’t blame them, he was too and he wondered when the true turning point was that separated him from Link. Turning his focus back to Sheik and Link, Time lifted an eyebrow as he watched the two of them, briefly he looked to the Sheikah warrior behind Link who met his eye and rolled his own. 

Sheik was looking as if they were ready to pry a more solid answer from Link, but they stopped when he clenched his jaw shut and tensed his shoulders, pointedly looking away. The younger warrior took in a slow breath behind their mask before turning back to the rest of the group. “We should get moving. We’re almost there now.”

One-by-one all of their group started moving again, footsteps the only sound in the narrow canyon. Time had fallen into step next to Link again and glanced every so often at the other out of the corner of his eyes. The roofs of buildings started to peek over the tops of the cliffs, showing that Kakariko had expanded upwards in an effort to control the sudden population boost.

The group rounded the corner and they were greeted with a narrow main road that was lined with very closely built buildings. Buildings that Time knew didn’t exist in his own time, haphazardly put together, uneven in structure and seemingly stable. The villages inhabitants were crowded at the edges of the road, clustered tightly with barely any room for their group to be led through to a slightly ornate building past the well. It was the only new building that had nothing else on either immediate side.

At Time’s side, Link faltered slightly in his steps before he sighed and continued moving forward with a surety and mission in mind. A sinking feeling grew in Times chest, lowering itself down to nestle firmly in his stomach as he looked around the crowd. 

There was anger.

There was  _ fear _ .

Vindication, hatred,  _ satisfaction _ ...

All of the burning gazes were on Link at his side and it was only a matter of time before someone did something to break that fragile and tentative silence.

Whispers started up behind them as they passed, the way out being swallowed behind them. Gradually they rose in volume as more people started to speak up.

“ _ Murderer. _ ”

_ ”My daughter’s death is on your hands you son of a bitch!” _

_ “You and your master stole my farm from me!” _

_ ”You should rot in a cell like my brother did in your dungeons!” _

**_”Traitor!”_ **

Time kept an eye on Link as the whispers and he was able to see the tightening at the corners of his eyes and as his lips were pulled to thin lines, throwing those little tiny pinprick scars into stark relief. Realization of what the scars actually  _ were _ struck Time at the same time as the first tomato slammed into the side of Links’ face.

Link had startled slightly as the vegetable struck him and split open, the juice and innards sliding down his face and off of his shirt, which was now stained even further. The other simply took a breath and pressed on, jolting only when more tomatoes and other over ripe or rotten fruits and vegetables collided with his face. All of Time’s group was further ahead, none of them  _ quite _ able to come to their assistance thanks to the density of the crowd closing in around them.

Thankfully it was unneeded as there was the sound of a bell that rang out over the crowded road, silencing the fury and wrath of the people as well as ceasing the throws. Link took it all without complaint, face forward, mouth shut, doing his best to ignore what was happening even as he’d been pelted furiously with everything they had. Time and the warrior guiding him weren’t unscathed thanks to the splattering, but nowhere near as much covered either of them.

_ “That is enough!” _ Once the bell finished tolling the sound of an elderly woman’s voice rang out over the heads of the crowd. Several Sheikah warriors dropped down into the crowd and started herding people backwards, away from the target of their fury. 

When Time looked up to the woman who spoke, he spotted Sheik at her side. The elder woman stepped forward, towards the edge of the staircase, a cane clacking solidly upon cobblestone before she brought it to rest in front of her as she surveyed the people gathered.

“ _ All _ of you are acting no better than our enemy. I understand your anger and fury, you have the right to feel those emotions. But you do  _ not _ have the right to attack a hostage, no matter their crimes upon us as a whole or you as individuals. This matter will be taken care of and we will let those directly affected know the outcome in the future. Disperse and return to your homes.” 

There was a small uproar as one teenager pushed through and lashed forward with a rock in hand, the sharp and jagged stone hitting home on Link’s shoulder, tearing some of the fabric and slicing into skin beneath it. Only the sound of a sharp inhale left the males throat as the teen screamed at him, probably from shock rather than pain.  _ ”He killed my father! I watched him do it himself! I deserve to take his life in return for what he did to him!” _

One of the Sheikah moved forward to ease the young man away from them, tears were falling from the young man’s eyes, fury and hatred shining vividly from the fire in his eyes. Time was unsure if it was wise for them to linger any longer than they had been so far.

“Barris, I understand, you know I do. But you  _ must _ contain your anger and hold back your hate lest it consume you and drive you down the very path the enemy is upon.” The Sheikah elders voice carried, firm and solidly over the crowd and many of those within it shuffled and started to do as told, returning to homes or back to their business before their arrival.

Only a few people remained within the narrow road beyond their group. All of their eyes were fixed upon Link’s form. A faint grimace was on his face for a few moments before he took another breath and stepped forward again. The teenager took visible offense to that reaction and he lunged again, trying to get around the Sheikah keeping him from reaching Link.

“Don’t you have  _ anything _ to say about that!? Do you  _ feel  _ anything for what you’ve done to us?!  _ Answer me you fucking traitor! _ ” Time could see Link’s jaw clench tightly again, which had to be painful as he knew that the other had been clenching his jaw already. The teenager wasn’t done screaming at Link either when only silence was his answer. “You’re just a fucking  _ coward _ who saved his own fucking skin while leaving the rest of us to suffer!”

“Take him home Shevi. Barris you need to bring your temper under control and reflect on your anger. We cannot and will not continue  _ any _ of your lessons until you regain yourself.” The still unnamed elder’s voice was firm but gentle. 

The teenager snarled as he was hoisted up over the shoulder of the Sheikah who picked him up effortlessly. He thrashed as he was carried out of the roadway, spewing curses and threats, the sounds of them reaching them until a door shut roughly.

A heavy sigh was heard as silence returned to the road and Time turned his attention back to the stairs fully, moving forward again with Link and his guard. Straining his ears Time could hear the woman’s words murmured to Sheik who he could just make out a frown under the mask. “I fear I may have to have his lessons cease completely… Too much anger and so little self control.”

“Grandmother, he  _ does _ have the right to answers though.”

“That may be, however he does  _ not _ have the right to abuse a prisoner, no matter what their crimes are grandchild. We will discuss this further at a later time however, you brought guests. Please help me get them settled in and allow them a chance to clean up. Hano, take him to the cells, see to it he is able to clean up as well. I’ll not let him suffer indignity such as that, we are better than that. Come inside.” 

Before Sheik could protest, all of their group entered the house the Sheikah elder had come from and she followed after them once Link was led inside with his guard. Time watched her as his counterpart was guided towards a door at the back of the room and down a flight of stairs. Each of the younger men watched Link be guided past before they turned to look at Time once he was out of sight.

“You alright old man?” Warriors asked.

“I’m fine, just a bit sticky. Is everyone else alright? Wind, Four?” the eldest reassured them.

“I’m alright, still shaky though.” Four murmured by Twilight’s side as he looked over to Wind.

Wind didn’t say anything for a few moments, just continued to lean into Wild’s side. “I’m  _ tired _ and I don’t feel well at all Time.”

“The after effects of those cursed beings I see.” Time startled slightly, not having heard the Sheikah elder approach them. She was at his side, her height reaching just above his elbow.

Her silvery white hair was done up in a tight bun and the Eye of Truth was tattooed on her forehead in Sheikah tradition. Her face was weathered and wrinkled, showing her age as well as the condition of her hands. Time had no doubt she was still a danger even with her age being what it likely was. A warm cinnamon was the color of her eyes and she looked up to Time, after a moment of observing the youngest of their group. 

“I shall have a bed prepared for him, as well as a good meal. For all of you for that matter. Sheik, be a dear and find Lani, ask her to prepare three of the guest rooms for three people each. Arlo has likely begun making food for them, he was outside with the others when you arrived. So a large warm meal will be ready shortly. When you come back please bring a bowl for this one to clean up with, tomato does become sticky.”

“Yes grandmother.” Sheik slipped out of the room without another word and left the nine heroes with the Sheikah elder who was looking over each of them with an observant eye before she turned her attention fully up to Time.

“Please sit down, there are plenty of cushions to relax upon. I wish to know your stories and why  _ you _ look like our fallen hero.” 

Everyone in the room shifted uncomfortably, but Time didn’t turn his gaze away from her to look at the others as they settled down, wariness rolling off of them with the voicing of  _ exactly _ who Link was. He debated within himself if he could get away with a half truth, but he decided against that as he knew that a Sheikah her age could and would be able to tell if it was the full one or not. 

_ Or _ he could be an absolute shit and drop the answer without hedging it. The only issue he could see is not knowing the splitting point from his timeline to this one. Where did he fail?  _ What changed between their timelines? _

“Time…” He glanced over to the others and saw Twilight finally looking at him properly. Time looked between them all before he gave a small smile as he turned his attention back to her.

“He’s me, in a way at least.” There was a barely audible and sharp inhale from the door where Sheik had returned. Time didn’t pay them any mind though. “I don’t know what happened to cause the split that gave us different paths to tread. Not yet at least.”

The elder watched his face for a long few moments before seemingly satisfied with the answer he offered for the moment. “I am Elder Imelda of the Sheikah clan, Guardian of Kakariko and its residents. Welcome, Heroes of Hylia.”

“You know who we are?” Warriors asked where from where he was sitting, his scarf was in his lap at the moment. His fingers were running over the fabric, checking it for tears as he always did after a skirmish or battle.

“I do. Your soul’s are all resonating with the same energy and strength as one another. Come grandchild, stop lurking in the doorway like that.” The now introduced Imelda beckoned for Sheik to come in with one hand.

The teen did as told, tray in hand. They set it down next to one of the empty pillow chairs for Time to use to clean up the tomato off of his face and skin before turning to help the elder woman settle into her own spot. Once everyone was settled properly the woman hummed softly as she watched them all shift uncomfortably in place.

“You have no need to be so tense young men. Here in my home, you have nothing to fear.” The smile on her face was easy and soft, genuine even.

The only ones who looked even remotely at ease in the presence of Imelda and Sheik was Wild and Warriors, both of them having interacted directly with their respective clans over long periods of time. Time wasn’t feeling too off put either, having spent time with Impa and his Zelda after he had been returned to his childhood, thus he was familiar with some of the mannerisms of the Sheikah. At most he was just uncomfortable with how intently that Sheik was staring at him, their eyes darting from one side of his face to the other.

“I don’t think most of us have interacted with Sheikah directly Elder…” Wild was the one who spoke up, his voice quiet.

“No need to be so formal young Hero.” she admonished gently. “I do not expect guests to adhere to our culture, especially if the majority of a group are unsure of the meaning behind our words and actions. For now simply call me Imelda, if a situation arises that requires formality then you may call me Elder, but at this time there is  _ no _ need for it.”

“Grandmother… are you sure about these people?” Sheik spoke up from where they had been sitting in silence. “ _ He _ does look like the traitor, and if he  _ is _ , what's to say that something similar won’t happen again?”

That drew a sharp look from their grandmother, her weathered face pulling into a frown. “You still have many years to go before you can see what I do in them. They have all completed their tasks successfully, unless the Goddess herself changes their fates they are done with their respective journeys after their current quest.”

There was a ripple through the group as Time glanced at the others out of the corner of his eye. A lingering sense of relief welled up over the group at Imleda’s words, but there was still the underlying sense of apprehension that something would flip their fates around at her statement. Straightening up before he started to use the offered bowl and cloth to wash his skin free of tomato, he quietly spoke. 

“Can you tell us what happened here? We know what Sheik has told us, that he joined Ganondorf and Princess Zelda is imprisoned behind a barrier. But nothing else.” 

A heavy sigh was the immediate answer, Imelda closing her eyes even as her face seemed to age another decade. “We only know a little of what happened to our fallen hero. The rest we know through personal experiences and word of mouth, but I shall tell you what we were able to put together of this bleak story.”

“We know that the Princess had sent him to gather the Sacred Stones to prevent the Usurper from succeeding, and he succeeded to that point, all three were in his possession. One of our sentries that watched over the Temple of Time itself nearly lost their life when the Usurper arrived and destroyed the face of the Temple. As it was, the other sentries throughout Castletown were killed and the one who survived was barely able to return to us here to warn us.”

“By then it was too late for us to be able to do anything but try and fill empty staff positions. We only managed to place a few handfuls beyond my daughter, Impa’s, already established position as the Princesses caretaker.” Another sigh was let free. “Several of our agents were found rather quickly. We believe witchcraft used by the Twinrova was involved in the capture of our people in the castle. Impa was one of the last to vanish and the few that remained in an effort to save the Princess had to flee back to us with what they could tell us.

“It was little over a year after the coup and there was no sign of the hero at all. Not a peep or anything was heard. We had started trying to break into the castle itself using what routes we knew of, but all of them were blocked off with magic or sealed with stone and mortar or flooded with tainted and poisoned water. We heard nothing of the going ons in the castle itself for two more years before the nobles that remained within Castletown started whispering amongst themselves.”

When their grandmother fell silent, Sheik spoke up, continuing where she had left off. “Rumors started to spread that the Hero had been found. But that he wasn’t going to help anyone as he had joined the Usurpers side willingly. Then we learned that he was being trained as an enforcer, which by the time he was presented to the general public three years ago, he was a monster with or without a sword in hand.”

“ _ Sheik _ .” The rebuttal was sharp and the teenager looked away before they spoke up again.

“He was rarely ever seen away from the Usurpers side, always following him faithfully and it just further proved that we had no hope in overthrowing him replacing the Royal Family back upon the throne. The Princess was rarely ever seen outside of her tower or the banquet hall. The traitor was  _ always _ at her side during those times and he stopped anyone from approaching her that  _ He _ didn’t approve of.” Sheik trailed off, posture stiff and tense as Imelda once again started speaking.

“Ganondorf became a merciless tyrant very swiftly after the first public appearance by the fallen one. People vanished from their homes, some were never found again, others they found little of their remains. Naysayers were silenced swiftly without warning, public hangings, beheadings, all manner of gruesome punishments... Homes were demolished, sometimes burned to the ground with families inside. There is a very long list of other things that have happened to the people of Hyrule. The young man below us was the arm that carried out the orders. The crowd that greeted you? Every one of them has ample reason to react as they did, but I had held out a small hope that they would have reacted civilly rather than what happened.”

There was a deafening silence in the room as the group processed everything they had been told so far. Time dropped the rag he’d used to wash off his skin and tunic back into the bowl and he mentally pieced together what could have happened. His good eye fixed on Imelda's face.

He was trying to process what he was hearing about this version of his person and  _ none _ of it made sense. What  _ happened _ that caused him to go this way? 

_ The scars on Links' face… the little pinpricks around his lips, he's seen them before on his own quest in the Gerudo fortress when he rescued the carpenters... _

His breath caught in his throat faintly as his eye widened and he looked to the door leading downstairs to the holding cells below. Time knew what made him give in.

It chilled him to the  _ bones _ as he thought about it, and for that matter,  _ who _ could have done that to a  _ child _ ?

"Time?"

Time didn’t respond for a few moments, keeping his eye locked on the door leading below. What he had pieced together that the residents here probably  _ hadn’t _ painted a very bleak and horrifying picture. It was only the insistent tug on his undershirt sleeve that drew his attention. 

_ Sky… _

“What's wrong?” Concern was heavy in the first hero’s eyes, and this was the first time he’d spoken since getting the Master Sword back in his grasp. As it was the blade was still held close to his chest with one arm, his other being pulled back to wrap around the sword now that he had the elder’s attention.

“I have a few questions for him I want to ask later, is all. I might be able to get more answers out of him than anyone else.” There was more to it of course and judging by the knowing look in Imelda’s gaze, she knew it too. “I’m not going to ask him anything until we’ve all rested however.”

“Arlo should be nearly done with your meals, and Lani will be done with setting up beds for all of you by now. A good meal and full night's rest will do wonders for all of you after encountering a ReDead’s scream.” Imelda reiterated from earlier, and no sooner had she finished speaking two more Sheikah, a man and woman, entered the room each with a large tray held between their hands.

“Enjoy your meals young men. Rest up and we can speak more in the morning. Grandchild, please help me up, these bones are weary as well...”


	6. Choice (Link-Fallen)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allusions of torture, indirect mentions of kidnapping, Timeline magic bullshit

Being given a bowl of warm water and a rag to wash himself off with was unexpected, as was the simple meal of soup and bread. But Link gratefully cleaned up every bit of skin that had rotten fruit and vegetable smeared into it and ate the offered meal without complaint. He wouldn’t strip out of his clothing in front of the guard, not unless he was granted a few moments of privacy, but he could handle wearing slightly sticky clothing for now.

Internally he went over what happened after they arrived at the village and he silently sent a murmur of thanks to whichever of the Goddesses would even bother to listen to him his thanks. It didn’t end as horribly as he had thought it would, his shoulder throbbed a bit of course from the rock that struck him, but it could have been far worse. His head could have been struck, or even his neck. Even cleaning that cut was easy to do without taking his shirt off.

Another silent thank you was sent to the Goddesses for small mercies.

When he finally sat down he carefully ran his fingers over his cheek beneath his left eye where the arrow had sliced through his skin during his capture. It stung briefly but was far more bearable than it could have been. Shallow and already scabbing over, he would have a thin scar there, but it was just another to add to his collection. 

He was more irked that it didn’t go through any of the runic chains of the spell around his eye. All he needed was for one of the words binding him to be destroyed and he could be  _ free _ . He couldn’t do it himself though, intricate spellwork tied into what was already put under his skin prevented him from doing it himself.  The Twinrova knew what they were doing when they taught Ganondorf this.

Link huffed softly in the silence of the cells, dragging his mind away from that train of thought to take in the cell itself now that he wasn’t as disgusting feeling.

It was small, no more than two meters wide, and three, at most, long. A hard stone cot with a thin sleeping pallet was on the wall he was at, sitting on it even.  It was more than he had once, better than nothing. The walls themselves were relatively smooth, no gouges or drags that he could spot, the mortar between the brings was strong, none of it looking like it was going to flake free.

No water was dripping down the walls which was another good thing, he’d stay dry and not worry about getting ill from that. No cracks in the ceiling, and there was a small barred window at the back of the cell itself, no more than a handspan high and two wide. He slightly remembered seeing that there were some windows just a few centimeters above ground level so water didn’t fall in when it rained. Below that was a narrow hole in the floor he figured was for relieving himself, which again, was  _ far _ better than what he’d had to deal with before.

The door he’d been nudged through after his arms were unshackled was a heavy barred iron door with a low and ankle high opening at floor level he guessed was for trays of food to be given to him, much like the bowl of water he’d used and pushed back through. Outside the cell itself there was a pair of torches on the far wall, illuminating the cell itself. There had been four other doors along the wall he was placed in, two on either side of him, and opposite his cell door was the staircase leading back up.

The warrior that had been his escort was leaning against the archway leading up the stairs, arms crossed and his face lowered, probably feigning sleep.

Not that he would do anything, he wasn’t  _ stupid _ , nor was he willing to test his skills for stealth in a building and village of masters of the art. 

That's not counting the group of Heroes above him either. He knew the capabilities of  _ two _ of them, but the other seven were complete enigma’s and it would be better to play it safe.

Taking a slow breath he let it out and settled down on the pallet, laying on his back to throw his left arm over his eyes, the left still ached, and the weight of the limb helped alleviate some of the pressure. He kept his thoughts away from what had happened in the canyon and the odd apprehension in his chest at being possibly killed. He hadn’t been hurt, nothing more than the rock which he didn’t count, which struck him as strange because he’d killed several dozen sheikah warriors on his own.

So beyond the need for answers, answers which he  _ couldn’t _ give, why were they going to keep him alive? 

His mind raced.

Scenarios were bouncing around in his head, each one just as likely as the next, all involving him being tortured in some way before he sat himself up, pulling his arm away from his face only to startle at the sight of one of the heroes standing outside the cell door.

The burning stare itself aimed at him didn’t bother him, neither did the fact the others hands were clenched tightly in the pelt of a wolf. 

No, what  _ did _ bother him about the stare he as stared back in return was the myriad of emotions he could see in the others' faces. Questions he didn’t know if he wanted to answer just yet, he knew why this hero was down here. It was expected even, but he wasn’t ready to explain  _ everything _ just yet.

They stared at one another for a few long moments and it was only an afterthought that he realized the guard wasn’t down there with them anymore. Probably asked to give them some privacy he guessed. 

“Was there something you needed, Hero of Twilight?” Link murmured softly, not breaking eye contact with him, but showing that he was at least  _ willing _ to talk.

The hero clenched his jaw slightly before he spoke, his voice just as quiet, obviously not wanting to be overheard. “So you  _ do _ know who I am.”

“I do, yes.”

“Why?”

“Why? Punishment I suppose. One I don’t and didn’t mind doing.”

The hero stayed silent for a few moments, his face creasing in thought. “Why did you then?”

“No choice. At least at first. Later I didn’t mind so much, and now I enjoy it.”

“Now? My quest is done.”

“For  _ you _ yes, not for me. Don’t ask how because even I don’t understand it fully.” Link shook his head when the Hero opened his mouth to question his answer. “I truly don’t. I’m  _ not _ in the Goddesses favor at all, they have told nor revealed anything to me.”

“Why did you join him then?”

That question hung in the air like poison,  it was poisonous, not just to him either and Link let his face fall completely blank again. Silence weighed heavily in the room as Link stared at the other before a bitter laugh left him with a shake of his head. “ _ Join _ him?  _ Everyone _ thinks and believes I joined him.”

“Didn’t you?” narrowed eyes were on Link’s face now.

A snort left his mouth and another laugh followed. “Tell me, if you were given a choice of certain death or giving in what would you choose?”

“I’d choose death.”

“Would you if you were only thirteen years old? What about if you were  _ ten _ ? Would you want to die then?”

Link knew his words were sharp, harsh even, but he was  _ sick _ of people assuming he was willingly at Ganondorf’s side.  _ Yes _ , he was a loyal soldier, but the man also held the only leash that allowed him the relative freedom he had. However he had no  _ choice _ in where his loyalty was to lay lest he be rendered helpless and thrown back to the Twinrova until he ‘learned his lesson’.

There was a faintly strangled sounding noise that came from the Hero of Twilight and Link looked back up to meet the others eyes. Alarm and realization was within the others eyes that he could see and the other had gone pale again. 

“Put it together then?”

“You- You were  _ ten _ ?!”

“Yes I was. I think at least, I don’t know how old I truly am thanks to my life before I left the forest.”

“You were younger than Wind and Four…” Shock laced the others words after the revelation had been made. 

“Are they alright?” Link assumed the two named were the youngest members of their group and even  _ he _ wasn’t heartless about the state they had been left in after two direct encounters with a ReDead’s scream.

That inquiry snapped the other out of his stupor and he straightened, his face hardening slightly. “Why do you care? You’re the one who ordered it to scream both times.”

“That may be, but they are still kids, and I warned all of you. I know what the scream can do to a kid, regardless of how skilled or courageous they are. I’m not heartless either.” 

“Could have fooled me. I  _ trusted _ you at one point. Believed that I had grown to know my ancestor, but now? Now-”

“You are related to him.” Link cut him off before he could go further, he pushed himself up to his feet to step closer to the bars. Both of his hands curled around the cold metal as he stared at the other sharply. “ _ Him _ , not me. I know what my eventual fate is and I won’t have a child of my blood subjected to the future of this time. Enjoy your time with him and the fact that he lives a happy life after this quest of yours is done and over with.”

Stunned silence rang once more before Link closed his eyes and reached up to pinch his nose before he turned away. “Just go back to your group. You need to rest. Tell them whatever you want that you learned or keep it secret, I don’t care. Not like anyone will believe my story anyway.”

“You expect me to ju-”

“ _ Go.  _ Please, just  _ go _ .” Link could feel a headache building violently behind his eyes and he was  _ done _ talking now.

There was a shuffle of fabric before the sound of retreating footsteps reached his ears. He took in a slow breath and let his shoulders droop, the beginnings of exhaustion settling into his body. He sat back down on the cot and rested his elbows on his knees, head cradled in his hands, palms pressed firmly to his eyes.

After what felt like an eternity in the quiet of the cells, only disturbed by the crackles of the flames on the torches, footsteps came down the stairs again. He refused to move or even acknowledge the new presence beyond the twitch of his ears. The footsteps were lighter this time, he could tell that the person was lighter on their feet, no armor, at least not noticeable or on them. 

Lifting his head up he stared blankly at the wall, simply wishing to just be left alone in silence so he could sleep. Reluctantly he turned his head to look at the newcomer through his bangs. “What is it that you want?”

“ _ To knock your fucking teeth in. _ ”


	7. Bitter (Legend)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Only Warnings for this is Legends potty mouth and some blood. He's angry okay?

Legend had laid in the bed that had been set up for him, staring at the ceiling for what felt like hours. Warriors and Hyrule had both long since fallen asleep, leaving him to the silence of the large room and oddly quiet home. 

It was uncomfortable to be honest. 

Not the fact that he was staying with Sheikah, or that he had been given a bed to sleep in out of the goodness of the Elder’s heart. It was the fact that the reason that he even  _ existed _ was about 50 feet or so below him in a cell, probably sleeping like a baby at that. It was the fact that the one person responsible for  _ stopping _ Ganon from gaining power  _ failed _ and had been walking free this whole time.

He didn’t believe the bullshit about the leash on Link, not even after seeing the results first hand. Magic was fickle after all and it could be modified in  _ dozens _ of ways on a person or an artifact. The touch of magic was easy to make out on the other, but Legend didn’t really care  _ what _ the magic did beyond showing one of his nightmares where they were.

A turn of his head to the left had him watching Hyrule’s sleeping face for a few moments, a frown pulling harshly at his lips. 

Link was the reason they were existing, yes, but as Legend watched Hyrule sleep, a quiet bubble of his already high level of anger burst and he made a decision. The other teenager didn't need to fear for his life any more than he already did thanks to the minions in his timeline after his blood. Quietly he slid himself out of his blankets, standing on the end of his futon for a moment before padding as soundlessly as he could to the door.

What came to mind for him was  _ probably _ going to end with him in trouble if the fucker ratted him out. But right now he slipped out of the door into the hallway at the top of the stairs, not giving a care in the world at all. 

Once the door was quietly shut behind him he took a slow breath and moved to the opposite wall, pushing his hand against it and sliding effortlessly into the wall when the magic sparked to life in the bracelet on his wrist as it activated with a thought. Taking a moment to let his perception of the world settle from the sudden change, he carefully crept along the surface, sliding down the wall where the stairs were.

It was simple to sneak through the house without attracting any attention, no one was around anywhere that he could see as he moved. He slipped along the walls smoothly towards the door downstairs. But before he could reach them, footsteps coming up the stairs caught his attention and he froze against the wall after moving backwards to hide slightly behind a painting and dresser. Only his eye peeked out from behind the frame as he waited to see who it was.

It only took a moment before Twilight stepped past him without looking around with a brisk pace, up the stairs to the next floor. Legend  _ did _ note that there was a conflicted and distressed look in Twilight's eyes and his own narrowed at the sight. His head had been down and brow creased, a frown pulling heavily at his lips. 

Holding still for a few minutes after he heard the faint sound of the door shut he carefully pulled out of the wall and looked around cautiously before he started down the stairs with light and bare footsteps. The stonework was  _ cold _ as he moved down them, feet padding softly until he reached the bottom of the stairs. 

Legend stood outside the cell door, the fury starting to bubble up again as he stared at Link who was sitting with his head in his hands. He  _ knew _ the other had heard him and just as he was getting ready to snap at the other, Link moved, letting his hands fall as he sat up, face focused on the wall. “What is it that you want?”

That bubbling fury rose up with the flat tone aimed at him and he practically  _ snarled _ at the other as he took another step forward, fully pressed against the cell bars once that red eye was focused on him, one hand curled white-knuckled around a bar. “ _ To knock your fucking teeth in.” _

Link watched him unmoving for a while, silent and unafraid. After a few long moments of silence he broke eye contact and looked at the far wall. "You're the one who comes immediately after me aren't you? The one to clean up the mess I end up leaving behind, aren’t you..?"

The question caught Legend off guard and he stilled for a moment before gritting his teeth and hissing out violently. " _ Mess? _ Mess is an understatement. You left my time in shambles and then the one who comes after me has to deal with the remains of what I couldn’t clean up!"

A long silence hung between them, only the sound of their breathing breaking through the air. Neither of them moved a muscle, Legends eyes fixed firmly on the side of the others face, meeting that red eye with a fire of his own. Link finally broke it however.

"I figured as much. No one knows what I've done to fi-" Link jerked away, alarm and shock rapidly rising through his posture as Legend moved and fused to the wall long enough to slide past the bars.

Red and blue were wide in shock and Legend felt a vicious satisfaction as he caught the other off guard. Left fist curled into the front of Link's tunic and the shorter one used the momentum of his lunge from the wall to shove him back against it.

With his free right hand, Legend pulled back and balled it into a fist. Mustering up as much of his natural strength he possibly could, he let his fist slam cleanly into the left side of Fallens face.

Right beneath the red eye.

Right beneath the thing that allowed a _ monster _ the ability to see everything around him.

It was hard enough to break open the cut on the others cheek. Fresh blood slid down the others skin to drip off his chin. But Legend didn't care about any of that. Both hands curled into the tunic now and he pulled the stunned male closer to his level and shoved him violently back against the wall with a thump.

"I know exactly what you've done. You ruined countless future lives, doomed a few countries to ruin, destroyed a pair of realms, and left a monarchy in fucking shambles because you fucking  _ joined _ the very monster you were supposed to stop."

They were practically nose to nose now, a vivid bruise already purpling into blackish blue on the others cheek. He kept his voice low, hissing his fury between clenched teeth lest he scream and rage at the other and draw attention he didn't want. "Let me make one thing clear  _ Link _ , if I even see you outside of this cell and alone without anyone at the risk of walking in on me…"

The red staring back at him was swelling shut slightly, both of Links’ eyes were watering faintly from the shock at being caught off guard. But Link made no move to throw him off as he listened to what Legend was saying.

_ "No one will ever find you once I'm done." _

Link was quiet for a few moments before he spoke, voice quiet and dull. "Are you finished?"

Taken aback slightly, Legends grip slackened on the soft fabric beneath his fingers. It was like the others emotions were  _ dead _ . Legend must have stared at him for longer than he thought, because he repeated the question with a little more force, but still  _ dead _ in tone.

"Are you  _ finished _ ?"

The repeated words snapped him out of his stupor and Legend grit his teeth again, flexing his fingers. Harshly he shoved Link back into the brick wall. He pulled back and stepped away to the wall again. "I will follow through on that."

"I don't doubt it." 

With a snarl, Legend slid seamlessly into the wall again and left the cell. He briefly reappeared in the physical world without looking back to cross the hall and then continued back up to the shared bedroom as a painting. 

Re-entering the shared bedroom on silent feet after pulling free, he settled back into his bed. Curling onto his side, he faced Hyrule, yanking his blanket up to his chin he watched the others face. His stomach was churning.

Upset and fury were boiling deep in his gut but  _ something _ about that brief exchange bothered him. He couldn't quite place what it was beyond the fact that Link  _ never _ retaliated against him. Not once did he make a move to strike back at Legend, even after he had a chance to gather his wits.

The other stayed calm the whole time.

Unnervingly calm at that.

Slowly warmth seeped into him and he slid into a fitful sleep, his mind struggling to shut down. One of his hands snaked out to snag into Hyrule's blanket, instinctively seeking the other's presence. His brows furrowed lightly in his sleep even as the third occupant of the bedroom stirred behind him.


	8. Traitor (Warriors)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings are brief mentions/allusions of torture to a child/preteen, blood
> 
> In which Warriors realizes that not everyone has a choice when something is held against them.

Warriors briefly remembered waking up to the sound of the door opening and closing earlier in the night but he thought nothing of it, figuring one of the other two occupants had to use the bathroom or needed a drink. It wasn’t uncommon for Hyrule to wake in the middle of the night for a drink, especially in an inn or a stable. So he simply fell back to sleep. 

He woke briefly again when the door slid open and shut and there was a shift on the wide futon bed the three of them shared. Groggily he opened his eyes and blinked slowly to get the sleep out of them. His mind trailed along the thought of getting something to drink for a few moments, not  _ quite _ wanting to leave the warmth of the blankets he was under. 

Unlike  _ most _ of the others, he had first hand experience with the Sheikah, he knew how they moved  mostly and that they would be safe in a home belonging to the elder. His time with General Impa during lulls in the fighting allowed him the luxury of being subjected to some quickly thrown together training to help keep him alive on the battlefield. He’d already checked the room for traps of any kind and disabled the one trick trap that had been over the door frame when Hyrule and Legend were getting ready for bed. He’d heard a snicker from the other side of the door when he’d done it and knew the culprit would be gone by the time he’d open it so he did nothing beyond roll his eyes and get himself ready to sleep.

Unlike Legend, he fell asleep rather quickly, the adrenaline that had been holding him aloft having worn off by the time they had started eating the offered dinner. He was out almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. At the moment, he was staring at the far wall below the window where weak moonlight was peeking through the clouds. He decided to get up and go get something to drink when he realized he was really damned thirsty.

Leaving the shared room was easy, his bare feet padding softly along the wooden floor as he made his way down the stairs to the room that all of them had been directed to if he wanted to eat or drink late in the night and no one else was around. The pump in the kitchen was easy enough to operate and he did with a minimal mess, drinking two glasses of water when he realized how parched he was. He gave the cup a quick wash in the sink, no need to be rude and leave them to clean up his mess, and set it aside to let it dry.

Yawning widely, he left the kitchen and stopped facing the wall which had the door leading down below. He made a decision, his own upset flaring at the reminder of why they were there.  _ A traitor to the country… _

When he reached the bottom of the stairs he found the object of his intention and he stared at the younger man in silence. Link was sitting against the far wall, knees up and both arms propped on them, supported out, fingers entwined and his head was bowed. Distantly he wondered why the other wasn’t on the low bed on the right side of the cell but he dismissed it when he put a hand around one of the bars. Just as he opened his mouth to say something, Link beat him to it.

“I’m certainly popular tonight. I’ve never met most of you before today, and I’ve now had two conversations and about to have a third.” Link looked up and Warriors made note of the vivid fist shaped bruise on his left cheek, slightly swelling his eye shut and the sluggishly bleeding cut on his face. “What is it  _ you _ want from me?”

Warriors stayed silent for a moment before he pursed his lips and spoke. “I’m trying to figure out why you would turn your back on the crown. Why did you turn into a traitor?”

“You’re at least more polite than the last one…”

Warriors narrowed his eyes on the other, shifting slightly from one foot to the other, his anger simmering slowly deep in his gut. He didn’t know who else would have come down, beyond Legend since it was clear he had known who Link was judging by his reactions during the ambush. But he had said he had two visitors so far and he didn’t know who the second one would be.

Link sighed and stood up, but didn’t take a step forward, watching him warily instead after he brushed his trousers free of dirt and dust. He simply waited where he was standing now, watching Warriors with a veiled apprehension.

“Well?” Warriors’ tone was clipped, sharp even as he waited in return for his previous question to be answered.

A sigh echoed in the cells and Link looked down briefly to the right before he looked back up. “When you’re given an ultimatum base instinct takes over.”

Warriors pressed his lips together tightly with that and straightened up. “Base instinct is the fight or flight response. What you did is a coward's way out of a conflict, by turning sides as you did.”

Two colored eyes snapped up to meet Warriors’ gaze, an anger simmering within the others face. He took a step closer to the bars, his posture defensive and somewhat hostile. “What do  _ you _ know of cowardice? You completed your journey without a guide. Without the chance for true failure. Without having to fear that the Goddesses would punish you for failing.”

“ _ I was ten years old and terrified out of my mind. You can’t call me a coward for having self-preservation. _ ”

That was snarled out of Link’s mouth, clearly showing that he was fed up with being called a coward. He was bristled like a cat would be and Warriors made a mental note of what he could regarding what it took to goad him as well as his posture. But then, the  _ first _ part of the other's comment registered and he stopped, eyes fixed on the others face.

Link however wasn’t done speaking, cutting Warriors off before he even got a word in, his voice harsh even as he got up into the bars. This put them both practically nose to nose with a few short strides. “Have you  _ ever _ seen someone's mouth sewn shut?  _ I have, I did, and I still do. _ Every day I look in the mirror I see that.”

Unwittingly, his eyes dropped down to look at the others lips and his heart dropped into his stomach like a  _ rock _ . He’d only seen those scars himself on a few prisoners of war, ones who had been saved from enemy camps and barely hanging on to life. Thin, gaunt, and most rarely managed to survive the trauma itself and it was even more rare that they ever returned home to their families of relatively sound mind.

“When the sisters got sick of hearing me  _ scream _ , they did this to me. Cowardice would have been me letting myself die. I came out of that torment stronger, more resilient, and incapable of shattering. So don’t call me what I am  _ not _ .” Both of Link’s hands were on the bars now, his knuckles white on the metal. 

A chill crawled up Warriors’ spine as he looked back up to the others gaze, both eyes burning with tightly restrained fury. The Captain pulled his hand away from the bars where it was still holding slightly warmed metal, just below where one of Link’s hands were and he struggled for a moment to find  _ something _ to say. Something that would make sense in his logical mind without sounding inane or outright cruel if what Link was saying was true.

He didn’t want to believe what the other was sayin as true, but he couldn’t deny the proof that was in his face. If… If it  _ was _ true that Link had been taken at the age of ten, then it was possible that the mess that led into Legend and Hyrule’s timelines wasn’t what it appeared to be. Reluctantly he shoved his anger with the other for being a traitor aside and settled himself a little straighter.

“Why didn’t you seek help from the knights then?”   
  
“I didn’t have the chance to. Cornered in the Temple with no other way out? No one knowing that I was there besides the Princess and her nanny? I would have been ignored anyway. No respectable city folk wanted to interact with the wild forest child anyway.” Link pushed away from the cell gate and turned to the side.

“Besides, I wouldn’t have had the chance to tell anyone what happened in any case. Between the time from the Temple and being put into the sisters’  _ gentle _ hands, I was unconscious.” The sarcasm that was oozed into the last part of his words was heavy. 

Now he felt ill. He didn’t know who these sisters were, but from the way Link was speaking of them it wasn’t anything good to even be thought of. Warriors swallowed thickly and shifted slightly from one foot to another. “No one looked for you either, did they…?”

“Why would they? Like I said, Zelda and Impa were the only ones to know where I had been, but they weren’t able to do anything.” Link gave a careless shrug. “As I told the hero of Twilight, you should go to bed. It’s late and I want to be left in peace.”

Warriors watched as Link fully turned away and sat down on the bench and lay with his back to the room, the dismissal obvious. He hesitated for a few moments longer as he stared at the others back, conflicting emotions riding high in his chest and throat. Stepping backwards, he didn’t turn until his heel hit the bottom most stair. 

Another long moment of hesitation was there before he turned on his heel and made his way back up the stairs. His mind whirling and leaving him restless even as he slid the door to the shared bedroom shut behind him. He leaned against it for a few moments before moving back to his bed.

Warriors laid down slowly, and pulled the blanket up over himself, rolling onto his side, facing the wall as he curled under the heavy warm fabric. A chill had settled into him that he didn’t realize was there until he was enveloped in what should have been a comforting place. 

The Link of this time wasn’t what any of them expected, but learning he was a traitor to the crown by siding with Ganondorf,  _ then _ learning that there was far more to the story than initially told? The other's eyes told a story he didn’t want to believe. 

Warriors was good at reading people at the initial meeting, but this…  _ this _ was unexpected completely and went against everything he’d ever believed. Could the soldiers he’d cut down in his own time have been in similar positions? Could a situation much like Link’s have been mimicked repeatedly? He wouldn’t put it past his enemies to manipulate his former comrades onto the other side.

But… He didn’t know what to believe. 

Time had plans to talk to Link in the morning, so maybe…

_ Maybe _ they would get concrete answers. Answers that were needed for this Hyrule’s future.

His sleep was restless for the remainder of the night. Tossing and turning, waking up constantly at the slightest creak of the house around him as well as Legend and Hyrule’s shifting. When the others woke up, he had faint bags under his eyes and he’d gotten possibly an hour more of sleep.


	9. Revelation (Time)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings are mentions of Torture, Manipulation, Murder, Death

Coming into the waking world after sleeping lightly was like a switch being flipped. Time blinked his eye open and took a few seconds of sudden awareness to gather his bearings. He could hear Twilight and Wild breathing to his right, showing the pair was still deep in sleep.

Knowing he wouldn't be able to fall back to sleep, thanks to his life living on the Ranch with his wife, he quietly got up, changed into fresh clothes and slipped out of the room to go downstairs. He covered his mouth with one hand as he yawned, the other stretching over his head before a satisfying pop was heard from his back. A sigh of relief left him as he reached the bottom of the stairs and he stepped into the main room.

What had him pausing in the doorway was the sight of the sleepiest member of their group being awake at  _ this _ hour when he usually slept in given the chance. Something clearly was bothering Sky if he was up.

Time took a moment to look at the other, making a few mental notes. Sky was still clinging to the Master Sword, his grip  _ had _ lessened a little, no longer white knuckled like it had been. There were visible bags under his eyes, showing he probably didn't sleep much, if at all through the night.

The sailcloth was loose around his shoulders, much like a blanket rather than the cloak he usually wore it as and he was only in his undershirt and pants. In front of him was an abandoned cup of tea, a small pot near it, neither had steam rolling off them so they had clearly been there for some time.

The silence was broken up with a shaky inhale before it was released slowly. Sky lifted his head and looked towards Time, the angle only enhancing the others exhaustion tenfold. He gave the elder a weak smile. "Good morning Time."

"Good morning Sky. Did you sleep at all last night?" Time softly asked as he moved to the low table to join Sky at it.

"No. I couldn't. For once, when I wanted to sleep I couldn't." Sky looked down at the blade in his arms. "My mind was racing the whole time I laid in bed. Fi is frantic, something went  _ horribly _ wrong here and she's trying to figure out  _ what _ ."

Time dropped his gaze to the sword, making out the faint glow at the top of the scabbard showing that Sky was right. The spirit within the blade was actively trying to find answers she didn't have. It bothered him a little, that she was desperately trying to find them, but at the same time, he  _ understood _ because in Sky's time she wasn't hibernating within the blade like she was in everyone else's. 

She had conscious, if limited, choices she could make. It still wouldn't ever be enough for him to wield the blade ever again though. Not unless there was  _ no _ other choice.

"Do you want to join me when I talk to him?"

"Please. I want to know the truth. He shouldn't have been able to touch the scabbard if he was really working against Hylia... Something isn't right here, Time." Sky met his eye again, his hold on the blade tightening briefly.

The elder nodded. "We should probably eat first. No telling how long we will be down there. Should also bring him something to eat too if he hasn't been given breakfast."

"I doubt it, it's just after sunrise. I only saw Sheik this morning, about an hour or so ago, when I came down, they made me the tea. I don’t think they slept either." He ripped his head towards the pot. "A little too bitter for my tastes, but it did help a bit."

Time hummed faintly before standing. He didn't cook often, and nowhere near the skill that Wild could, but he did know how to make very fluffy pancakes, Wild still hadn’t figured out how he got them the way they were, nor was he going to tell him. When done, he came out of the kitchen with a pair of empty plates and a stack big enough to feed them both in one hand, and a small jar of honey in the other.

Both of them ate in silence, Sky  _ finally _ letting the blade go, setting her at his side. When he was done Sky batted at Times hands and grabbed the dirtied dishes to wash them. "You cooked, I'll wash. It's okay fair. Plus it will keep my mind occupied for a few minutes longer."

“There should be two pancakes still on the counter. I wanted to make sure we left some for him to eat.” A sigh left the elders mouth as he relented and leaned against the table while Sky slipped out of the room to clean up. The Master Sword was humming faintly where she was still laying and Time simply watched her. He wouldn't touch her, had vowed not to ever again unless the worst possible outcome were to come to pass. But he did take the time to appreciate the fact she  _ was _ a beautiful blade. 

During his own journey he'd never had the chance to actually  _ look _ at her, and even now he'd refused to hold her and turn her blade to different angles just to satisfy his curiosity. He's attention was drawn away as Sky came out of the kitchen with the small plate and a fork.

“You didn’t make any for the others?” Sky quietly asked as he reached the table. He held out the small plate for Time to take, knowing that the elder wouldn’t pick up the Master Sword at all.

“No, all of them are still sleeping and you know as well as I do that Wild will end up fixing a feast.” Once he was on his feet, Time took the plate and turned to the door, knowing that Sky would catch up.

“That's true.” when Time glanced over to Sky, he was holding the Master Sword to his chest again, but his grip now was loose, relaxed even. Sky gave the elder a small smile and followed the elder down the stairs.

Two different colored eyes stared at them in trepidation, their owner sitting upright and as far back on the cot in the corner as he could manage. He was tense, his left eye swelled slightly shut from the fresh bruise on his cheek. Bags were faint under his eyes, but Time could see them clearly. 

"Did you sleep at all?" Time asked quietly as he stepped up to the bars, plate in hand.

"No." Links voice was quiet and he shifted a little bit to look between the two of them and the sword in Sky's arms. He didn’t elaborate further either. "What do you want?"

"To talk. Ask some questions and answer some in return."

"Time…"

"He doesn't need to know everything, Sky. I have no doubt he's curious."

Sky stayed quiet, and with a soft huff he sat down on the floor opposite the door, the sword leaning against his chest. "If you're sure Time."

"Also brought you something to eat. Made it myself." Kneeling down he slid the plate of pancakes through the slot with the wooden utensils that Sky had grabbed as well. "I can imagine you're hungry."

Link looked down at the plate on the floor and then back up to Time's face, clearly torn and wary of their being a catch. The eldest in the area rocked backwards onto his heels and sat down a few feet further back, closer to Sky in proof he meant no harm. 

The floor was cold, but it wasn't high enough on his priorities to bother himself with. "No one tampered with it either. The three of us are the only ones awake right now."

Suspicion was in Links' eyes but he did get up and move over to the plate, snagging it quickly, as if daring Time to take it from him before he retreated back to the cot to sit. He paused before he started eating, looking up at Time again. "Why?"

"Because you are still Hylian. Still a person. I've seen plenty of bad things in my life, but I have never treated a person badly unless they deliberately harmed an innocent."

"Are you the kind of person who sees the good in everyone?"

"No. I judge by the actions I witness personally. Word of mouth is exaggerated more often than not, it's why legends and myths are so over the top sometimes."

"You…" Link fell silent and looked down to the plate. Time wished he could read the others' mind for just a brief moment, because he was clearly torn. "You'll be disappointed then."

Without missing a beat the other stuffed a mouthful of pancake into his mouth, studiously ignoring Time and Sky as he ate. A silent internal curse was bouncing around as he realized they didn't bring anything for him to drink and wash it down when he was done. But that could be brought down later.

Time looked over his shoulder to Sky, the younger man had his eyes closed and his forehead meeting with the hilt of the blade. He could be mistaken for a soldier sleeping, but Time knew better. Despite the sleepy projection he gave off, Sky was able to react rather quickly to a threat if one arose.

He was broken from his thoughts as there was a soft slide of wood against the floor and the plate was pushed back through the gate. Link didn't retreat back to the cot this time, but did sit down next to it to lean against the frame. Both of his feet were flat on the ground and he had laid his arms across his knees, fingers loosely interlaced. 

"You wanted answers?"

"What happened to Navi?" Time softly asked after a few moments of silence.

A bitter laugh left Links mouth. "I don't know. She fled. Left me alone with him and I couldn't escape further into the temple or outside. I was blocked from going anywhere. The emerald and ruby were in place, but when I moved to put the sapphire in place, she  _ fled _ ."

There was no mirth in the others words and when he fell silent Time noticed that the corners of his eyes were tight. It was clear that Link didn’t like to remember this, but he knew that if anything were to turn for the better, they  _ needed _ to know what happened. He was going to ask a question that even  _ he _ didn’t know the answer to.

“Why did she leave?”

Red and blue fixed him in place, staring at him and he felt his breath catch in his throat from the sharp blade that was figuratively pinning him there. That feeling lasted a long moment and he heard Sky shift slightly behind him and Link’s attention went to him. He looked away from Sky after a moment, fixing his gaze on the wall above them. “She was scared. Kept telling me she was but we had to find the sacred stones. I didn’t realize  _ how _ scared she was until she abandoned me when I needed her most.”

The last was murmured very softly but behind Time, Sky inhaled sharply. He looked over his shoulder at the other to see that his grip on the blade was white-knuckled again. Sky also looked pale in the torchlight.

“The next moment the front of the Temple exploded and I dropped the sapphire so I could hide behind the altar. It wasn’t enough, I barely managed to get to my feet to turn and run further before I was…” Link trailed off, his mouth shutting with a small click of his teeth. Silence rang in the cells before he looked up to them both again. “Why are you wanting to know this?”

There were a long few moments of silence before Sky spoke up, his voice soft. “She wants to know what she can do to help you fix this.”

“Who is ‘she’?” There was a light of confusion in his eyes, but he did glance down to the sword in Sky’s arms. 

“The spirit of the Master Sword. She’s sentient to a degree for everyone after me, but I can hear her and understand her. Fi, is her name, wants to know what she can do to help your Hyrule be put to rights, you  _ shouldn’t _ have failed.” Sky was holding Link’s gaze now, when Time turned slightly again to look, his hold on the sword looser than it had been.

“Was she what I was supposed to find with the stones in place?”

Sky hesitated and looked to Time who sighed and turned back to face Link. “Yes.”

“I wouldn’t have been able to wield her until I was older. I was  _ ten _ .”

“I know.”

Link fixed his gaze on Time again, sitting up straight, one leg straightening out. “You succeeded where I  _ didn’t _ , I  _ know _ you did. What did  _ I _ do wrong?  _ Why was I not able to do what they wanted me to? _ ”

This, Time didn’t know an answer to. But he wasn’t going to leave Link without one. “I don’t know, we may have been chosen by the Goddesses, but that doesn’t mean we know their plans for us either. I almost failed several times myself. I will admit that readily.”

“As did I. Fairies were a blessing that I never take for granted. Especially with who I had been pit against.” Sky spoke up and Time glanced back over to him, remembering that the first in the line was rather tight lipped about the ending of his journey. 

“Forgive me if I say I don’t trust Fairies at all.” Link murmured before he took a breath. It was clear he was trying to make sense of what was going on. 

Time hesitated at that announcement and he settled a little more comfortably himself. He let the silence go on for a little while before he broke it. “What happened in the Temple of Time then?”

“The Sheikah Elder didn’t tell you?” Link’s gaze was sharp, focused.

“She did, but there are always two or three sides to a story. The ones it directly affects and the ones on the outside looking in. That’s why I’m asking  _ you _ .” 

A pained look was on Link’s face as he looked down at the floor. His jaw was working, clearly chewing on his tongue or the inside of this cheek in thought. “I just want to know one thing before I tell you what happened.”

Time glanced over to Sky who was watching Link without looking away. He turned his attention back and nodded when he saw the other was looking at him.

“What would have happened if I had gotten past the altar?”

His mouth went dry as the last word fell from Link’s lips and Time felt as if the world stopped for several long seconds. Realizing he needed to breathe, the spell holding him broke and he squeezed his eyes shut long enough to get his bearings and form an answer. None of the others in the group knew what had been the start of his journey. 

Not even Sky, the Master Sword, Fi, didn’t tell him, she wouldn’t without Time’s approval. Time knew she hadn’t told any of the other heroes his story, she never told any of the others stories either. Sky would probably blame himself for what he was about to tell, but it  _ wasn’t _ the younger's fault in any way. He may have forged the blade and tempered her to perfection and brilliance, but he had no sway in what Fi’s destined fate would lead to. 

He wasn’t going to sugar coat this either. Link deserved to know what would have happened had he been able to follow through.

“You would have opened the Vault and taken the Master Sword in hand. But you wouldn’t have pulled it until seven years passed. The door sealed shut behind me and I  _ slept _ that entire time. I grew up physically, far better shape than when I was allowed to actually age properly.”

“Navi was with me the whole time I slept. I woke up to a world in ruins and had to move as quickly as possible to cleanse the temples and save it with the help of the Sages. Seven years, eight months, twelve days, and five hours. From the moment I touched the sword until the moment I struck him down, that’s how long it took to complete my journey.”

Behind him, Time could hear a soft chiming ring, but he ignored it for now, knowing that Sky was listening to the blade in his arms. He could hear Sky murmuring softly to the blade but he didn’t pay attention to what was being said. Instead, he was watching the emotions dance across Link’s face before a far too bitter laugh broke free from the others mouth.

“I’m glad then. I’m glad that you made it. Because the alternate outcome was far worse.” Link licked at his lips and he straightened up. “You know of the Twinrova then right?”

“Yes, in my timeline they had the Sage of Spirit bound under a tightly woven mind control until I freed her.”

A snort and wry smile was on Links face at that. “Sounds like something they would do. The Twinrova are  _ his _ grandmothers. The ones who taught him all the magic he knows, including the spell he uses on me. I can’t tell you how to break it or get rid of it thanks to the inner workings of it, but I can say that  _ I _ can’t do it myself.”

“To put a long story short though, I asked if you knew the Twinrova because when Ganondorf took me after giving me the choice to join him or die, he gave me over to them. I was  _ ten _ . Everyone in Hyrule forgets how old I am, not that it matters to them at large. Ten year olds aren’t supposed to be given a one-sided choice like I had been given. ‘Join me or I will kill you’...”

“Three years I was in their hands, being exposed to  _ black _ magic, Redead screams, and tortured. Throughout that time, I knew others had been brought in and were put through the same as me, if not worse. They were under orders to break me, not kill me.” Link stopped talking for a few moments, bringing a hand up, almost absentmindedly to trace over his lips and Time took a chance to ask a question.

“Did they break you then?”

“No, they came close once or twice but I wasn’t going to let them win. I will only give Ganondorf one point in his favor because there was a point in time where the Twinrova were tired of my screams. They sewed my mouth shut, I could barely drink the water I had been given because of how tightly they had made the stitches. Ganondorf came down to see the progress they had made on me and when he saw what they had done… I had four days of absolute  _ bliss _ . It was quiet, I could open my mouth and breathe without almost suffocating. Those few short days I slept almost the whole time, exhausted and drained and absolutely  _ lonely _ . I could hear others in the cellblock with me but…

“When they came back they had Impa in their grasp.”

Behind him, Time could have sworn that he heard the sound of someone's foot slip or even fabric sliding across stone on the stairs, and he turned his head slightly to listen. No other sound followed, not even breathing so he ignored it for now. It was likely Sheik, or even one of the other Sheikah, maybe listening would set a few things straight or even make them think about what really happened. 

“She wasn’t conscious when they brought her past the cell I was in. But she wasn’t that way for long. They dragged me to the room they had her in and made me watch that first day. Impa was the only person who realized that I didn’t have a choice. She was furious, lashed out when she could, took a  _ lot _ of physical abuse for all manner of things including things meant for me she begged to take instead…” Another pause and Link licked at his lips once more.

“After that I didn’t see her often, only a few weeks worth of time in total until she was finally killed. All in all she was there maybe a year? I… I tried to help her escape once near the end of my second year down there. She had better odds than I did in getting free but, Twinrova was expecting that. We got to the main hall of the castle before they grabbed us again. I don’t remember what happened immediately after that, I was struck in the back of the head with a hard blow and knocked unconscious.”

“I woke up some time later, dangling from my arms and she…” Link fell completely silent taking in a slow breath and letting it out just as carefully before, then he started speaking again, fury creeping into his tone. “They weren’t gentle at all. I was whipped within an inch of my life and Impa was flayed and dismembered in front of me. I still have nightmares of that happening, I didn’t try again after that. I wouldn’t have made it alone anyway.”

No one said anything for a few moments, the only sound in the cell block being their breathing, the crackling of the torches in the hall, and the distant sound of the village slowly waking up outside. Link’s voice was quieter when he started speaking again, the heat that had made its way into his words as he described what happened to Impa leaving it. “After that, I was hardly left alone for longer than a few hours. It was their priority to break me down to the state Ganondorf wanted when he learned that I tried to escape.”

“I stopped fighting back, I didn’t argue, but I didn’t let them  _ break _ me. Everything they did to me I wear with the knowledge that I survived and tried to get out. All of the people of Hyrule see when I come around is just a traitor because they don’t know what I went through. I’m fine with them targeting me, they have a chance for mercy if it’s me they direct their rage and pain to. But if it were to be aimed at Ganondorf? He doesn’t know what mercy is.”

“No, he doesn’t.” Time murmured softly. A lot was still unanswered about Link’s time after Ganondorf took him, but it was clear that things happened that no  _ child _ should ever have been exposed to. “Is that why you were willing to be taken as you were in Castletown?”

“Not as simple as you think. We were surrounded by his forces when they ambushed my return. I should have expected it, but I didn’t think they would with a Redead in the party. The smoke bombs helped mitigate that and they reacted far faster than I was ready for. Sheikah are difficult opponents to go against, they pose a challenge that I’ve taken and did my best to adapt to. Normally being outnumbered as I was would have been little to cause me trouble, but the smoke, the fact they used that and Ganondorf’s untimely check in of my progress to their advantage leveled the playing field into their favor swiftly.”

“The Redead being taken down was expected, I wasn’t holding out the chance they would leave it as it would have been left alone in the middle of the market until another soldier came down to fetch it. That could have taken days. I went with willingly because as soon as your party was released from your bindings I  _ was _ outnumbered without a chance to escape safely.” Here he gave a slightly careless shrug, looking between the two outside the cell.

“Had I made it back to him without any of you he would have punished me. The extent would have depended on his mood, but I probably would still be suffering it right now. Restricted duties would have followed and I would have been put in place to guard the Princess’ chambers.”

“Speaking of the Princess, I remember you saying it would be impossible to reach her. Can you tell us why?” 

“Because it is. If you don’t have permission to go through the barrier by the caster of the ward, you’ll be rebuffed the first time, the second will have you stunned, and the third will turn you to ash. I’ve seen soldiers trying to woo her suffer that because of boundless stupidity and ignoring orders.” A roll of his eyes showed his opinion of soldiers trying to step into something that would end their lives. “Besides, she’s… She’s not looking for anyone that way. The Princess wants  _ out _ and the soldiers are all loyal to Ganondorf.”

“You want her out of Hyrule.” It was a statement, a fact. Time could read that much and when his younger counterpart met his gaze again he nodded. 

“At least a generation or two-three would be the best time frame- before they try to come back. It would give the people of Hyrule a chance to return as well as for Ganondorf’s hold to waver, Gerudo live longer than Hylians if they are fit and healthy. He’s both, so he’ll live longer than most unless he goes out to the battlefield.” 

Sky finally broke in, Time startling slightly as he hadn’t expected him to ask anything or even really speak, but the question that tumbled from the others mouth was valid. “Why are you being so open about your answers? Most would hedge them or outright refuse to answer.”

The corners of Link’s eyes twitched and he winced as he reached up to gently prod at the bruise under his left eye. “Because I already know that I’m going to die. He practically handed me over to the Sheikah and all of the Hylian refugees’ here in Kakariko Village. You all heard what he said. Sooner or later I will be killed, he’s willing to play the game to see how long that takes.”

“Why has he not done so himself then?” 

“Because he knows that if I am desperate enough against him I could kill him. I’ve bested him before in the very few spars we’ve had. He knows that I can and will kill him given the chance thus the reason he is asking an outside force to do it for him. The chance for his death is gone.”

“That doesn’t explain why he had the Twinrova keep you alive though…” Time could see the faintest glow from under Sky’s hands. The Sword must be asking questions and waiting for the answer through him then.

“I don’t know, I’m guessing that he considers the monsters and beings under his control or banner as part of him so the reason he wants someone that is not a subordinate or Gerudo to kill me. Probably doesn’t want to risk me defeating them all and cutting into his power base.” Link shifted and rolled his shoulders before settling back against the cot, hands settled in his lap.

“You would have to. That was the only way I could defeat him myself. They are his generals and they are the ones in charge of his army. Plus breaking his hold over the individual Temple’s frees the Sages.” Time didn’t know what to do about Impa’s place as a Sage, it could be that she was still one in spirit, but anything could have changed that pathway on them when Ganondorf did this.

“I remember.”

“What?”

“I remember. This isn’t the first time I’ve met  _ you _ . This is just the first time I’ve seen one of the successful splits in the aftermath of their journey.”

Time felt like his lungs were going to freeze solid and his mind raced trying to put together what the other was meaning. He didn’t get far though, Link explained with a wry smile.

“A sandy island in the middle of a room, a single scraggly and barren tree. Two doors, one forward one back, the floor is a mirror of water ankle deep and mist hangs thick. You walked into the walls  _ twelve times _ trying to see if you could go further into the room.”

Behind him Sky made a choked noise, clearly disguising a laugh and Time felt his ears  _ burn _ from embarrassment because it was true. He didn’t ever talk about that, and Navi teased him after that was done and over with because he almost broke his nose several times. The elder man cleared his throat to push down the lingering embarrassment. “It was a well crafted illusion. I wanted to be sure there wasn’t anything hiding anywhere else. But you’re saying you were the reflection I faced?”

“I was yes. Dragged through magic and time to be pit against you and test your abilities. I don’t know if I was physically there in truth, but I was able to interact with some things.” There was  _ definitely _ something unsaid there as Link continued. “You were skilled, put me through my paces, even the Sword burned the false skin I wore hard enough to actually  _ hurt _ when you struck me..”

“You flipped around a lot and wouldn’t stay off of my blade.” was the flat reply.

“You shouldn’t have left so many openings for me to be able to. Plus your face whenever I did that was funny.”

“How  _ did _ you manage to do that anyway?”

Link shrugged. “Magic I’m guessing. Like I said, I don’t think I was  _ truly _ brought through to challenge you. Only my mind and spirit I want to believe. I woke up when you defeated me in the exact spot that I was sent over from.”

Time heard a rustle of fabric behind him again, but not from Sky and he tilted his head slightly, listening intently. Another soft rustle was heard and Time turned himself to the right, looking up the stairwell. He knew someone was eavesdropping for sure now and Link clicked his mouth shut audibly and followed Time’s gaze, his face falling blank once more as the elder spoke up. “Who’s there?”


	10. Unearthing (Zelda)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life is monotonous.
> 
> Until it's not and glass houses are shattering around her very self.

It was early in the morning for her usual routine to start, it hardly ever changed from day to day now. 

Rise from bed, wash face then, make the bed itself. Open the two balcony windows she had access to in her bedroom and let the air flood the room with a gentle breeze. Watch the sunrise from the east facing window with a cup of tea while she waits for her food to be brought to her rooms via stalchild and then nibble at it until the sun is fully in view.

This was the most peaceful time of the day for her as she had no duties beyond this to worry about even though there were still lessons she was taking which started at the height of the day. But that was for later, right now she set the cup that she’d been cradling in her hands down on the small table and she pushed the tray to the other side to rest her head down on her folded arms. 

All of this was monotonous.

Only broken occasionally by an extravagant dinner party or ball that Ganondorf held to reinforce his hold on the remaining population. Once a month usually, rarely more than that and someone  _ always _ ended up dying by the end of it. She hated it completely. The people were scared of him enough and more and more people were fleeing to other lands or to Kakariko.

Zelda pressed her lips together tightly as the reminder of Kakariko brought forth another chain of thoughts. Her former nanny, Impa. She missed Sheik, she  _ dearly _ missed Sheik and their attitude, and the fact they easily swapped places a few times to allow her a breath of fresh air when possible. 

Everything that happened because she trusted the wrong person. She trusted the wrong boy to help her and now the kingdom and her people were paying the price for him to walk free like a  _ pet _ . He was completely loyal to the man who destroyed Hyrule and it  _ hurt _ that she had let a snake into her trust like that. The mere thought of Link had her shoving herself away from the table with annoyance and she returned to her bedroom to dress, intent on driving away any thoughts on Link.

\-------

It worked for a few hours, up to the time her lessons for the day were to begin. A knock on her door drew her attention from the book that she had in her hands and she looked up, closing it and went to answer the door. Only two people would knock and one  _ rarely _ ever came to the tower himself so when she opened the door she was ready to snap at the one disturbing her solitude only for her to clamp her mouth shut and swallow thickly as she looked down and to the side.

Ganondorf, the Usurper King of Hyrule and Ruler of the Desert people, stood in the doorway, nearly two heads taller than her rather than his pet knight. Her jaw ached from the pressure she put upon the bone and after only a moment she took a step back and to the side, allowing the man into the main chamber of her rooms. 

“To what do I owe your visit?” Her voice was tight, but as polite as she could manage it to be.

Ganondorf stepped past her and only upon the door being shut did the man turn to look at her, dark amusement was in his words and a glint matching it was in his eyes. “Curiosity as well as a desire to inform you of a change that will affect your daily routines.”

Zelda hesitated for a moment before she straightened up and finally met his eyes. “Curiosity for what?”

“Your living space. I have yet to see what you have done with the requests you’ve made through the years.” As if to prove his point, he took a few moments to look around the sitting room. There were a few low sofas, as plush as she could stand them to be, and small tables stacked with books or scrolls. Book shelves lined the walls and were full to bursting beyond what the tables held in neat stacks. 

Lanterns hung from the ceiling and from a few stands spread throughout the room, allowing her to pick and choose where she would sit to read or work on her lessons. Pillows were scattered around the room, some on the floor in the corners where she would tuck herself up to read, and others on the sofas. Blankets were folded neatly on some small shelves and a few rugs were rolled up next to them while a few others were spread out to liven the room up. 

Two curtains were pulled back to reveal a narrow balcony, one that was next to the larger one of her bedroom, it only held one lounging chair and a low tea table. Both doors leading to it were wide open, letting fresh air flow into the room. The door to her bedroom was open to his viewing if he chose to look, but thankfully, he made no movements to invade her privacy anymore than he already had.

“Is your curiosity satisfied then?” Her fingers were twisted into the folds of her dress, knuckles white in the fabric, hiding her upset with the situation as much as she possibly could.

“For now it is. I noticed that you have no flowers or vases on display? I remember you receiving several bouquets from suitors this week that I allowed through…” 

Ganondorf’s gaze pinned her in place and she fought the urge to twitch or shy away from his gaze. Instead she inhaled through her nose, filling her lungs full to bursting before she even said a single word. When her words did come, they were firm and unwavering. “I did not want them. They are false pretenses anyway and I do not wish to lead any man around by the nose. I already sent missives asking them to not send flowers again.”

A chuckle left the mans’ throat and he shook his head. “They are gifts, Princess. Any man worth his honor would be delighted to send you flowers or gifts. I would take them as often as you can, especially now.”

“Now? Now what?” That alone confused her, what changed?

The chuckle was longer this time, and he smiled down at her, all teeth and promise. This unnerved her. “ _ Now _ , you no longer have a guard to escort you. If you wish to go to the gardens or to the library you have to send a messenger to me.”

Distantly alarm bells were ringing within her mind, things not quite adding up and the only missing factor to the situation was the absence of the loyal pet the King had. Her thoughts must have been visible on her face for Ganondorf reached out and tilted her head up a little further with a surprisingly gentle hand under her chin. It jolted her out of her mind though and she took a step back, out of his reach as she knocked his hand away, her own teeth bared in anger.

“Don’t touch me.”

“You simply looked lost in thought, may I know what you are thinking?” Ganondorf retracted his hand without any further action, simply holding his hand up in a placating manner before dropping it down to his side again.

Zelda swallowed before holding her chin high as she kept his gaze. “Why do I have to ask for you specifically? Don’t you have your  _ pet _ for that?”

The amusement was still in his eyes and he simply tilted his head. “A loyal pet indeed, however he has outlived his usefulness to me. I have all intentions of collecting what is rightfully mine.”

“Rightfully yours? None of this is  _ rightfully yours _ .” Zelda bristled and her back straightened in her bottled fury. “You took  _ my _ kingdom from me when you killed my father. You took  _ my _ people from me when you performed the coup d’etat and locked me away like a prize.  _ You took my peoples homes and livelihoods from them and left them with nothing! _ ”

Ganondorf simply scoffed and sneered as he towered over her smaller form. “ _ Your _ people punished mine for the actions of the few.  _ Your _ people treated mine as if they were scum and your father was among the worst. I have merely returned the favor, you at least however have a few who still have the luxury they are used to.  _ Mine squandered in filth and poverty for centuries because of your people before I gave them a new chance at life _ .”

“None of my kingdom is rightfully yours!” Zelda knew she was pushing the man’s temper to the edge, but she didn’t truly care. Nine years of pain and anguish was finally reaching a boiling point within her.

“ _ Enough. _ ” Ganondorf’s voice was loud enough to rattle her windows, stealing the wind from her sails almost immediately and she took a step back in shock, her eyes wide. “Your kingdom ceased to be  _ yours _ upon your father's death. I took his place and I intend to complete my own goal,  _ with or without your cooperation. _ ”

Briefly a look of fear crossed her face before she steeled herself again. “Why would I even think of cooperating with you?”

“Because you have the chance to survive this  _ Princess _ . If you cooperate, you will be left to live out your days peacefully and have little to worry about in whatever whims catch your fancy. However, if you do not, I shall hand you over to my grandmother's tender hands.” There was a dark and amused glint in his eyes at that, and the hair on the back of her neck rose in alarm.

Her mind raced frantically for an answer, a way to rebuff the man's words but she couldn’t think of anything that would make sense. Instead her mind jerked backwards to what the man said about Link, it took a moment longer of his intense gaze never wavering before she worked up her nerve again to speak. “Wh-What did you mean by ‘outlived his usefulness’?”

Ganondorf straightened up again and absentmindedly fiddled with his bracers as he watched her. “As I said. He no longer has a use to me and it’s about time that I receive his piece of the Triforce.”

Zelda’s mouth went dry and she felt as if there was a sword driven into her heart with that. She had Wisdom and knew full well that Ganondorf held Power. Her voice was little more than a strained whisper. “He… He has Courage?”

“Indeed he does Princess. Why does that surprise you? You’ve spent six years around him and treated him like nothing more than a servant, or perhaps even less than that from the reports given to me.” There was the sound of condescending glee in his words.

“But… He  _ failed _ . He failed so why did…” her voice was faint, something like steel dropping into her stomach and twisting into something foul.

“Because he was destined to have it. You sent him to his fate Princess, surely you’ve realized this by now, but the Golden Goddesses of yours are not kind. They see us mortals as toys to use in their grand game. Nayru and Farore have won thus far, but Din is finally winning with her choice in myself.”

Zelda knew the myths, the legends, and the stories that were passed down through her family. All of them were locked away in the record halls and only accessed by the, now deceased, record keeper or her the magic in her blood activating the spells protecting the vault they were held within. She’d read all of the stories she could get her hands on, tales telling of a land risen above the clouds and a great war that lead to them being up there. 

Tales of a young knight from the sky descending to save the Goddess her family followed from certain death and the trials he endured to rescue her from the servants of a monster. Of the struggle the battles put upon the knight, the forging of the Master Sword within the sacred flames of the Golden Goddesses, and his near death before he succeeded and sealed the monstrous being for generations within the holy blade even as he was cursed.

Tales of a child saving the world from a sorcerer of the smallfolk she remembered seeing as a child and freeing the elements that the sorcerer had stolen and hidden after shattering a special blade. Those same elements being forged into the blade that had been initially shattered, only to seal the sorcerer away within it. Then only a few years later, of the same young hero drawing a blade to defend from a shadow, winged beast, and an incarnation of the monster once sealed away. Their success at freeing a kingdom turned to stone and the sealing of the blade that allowed them that victory.

Names were lost to time and none of their stories survived beyond the fragments to those outside the Royal family, but she  _ did _ know that both of the young men were Champions of Farore and bore a simple four letter name that was always smudged or smeared on the scrolls. Just as her bloodline were Champions of Nayru and Daughters of the Goddess Hylia, all named Zelda. Din’s champion changed from story to story, but never was her Champion on Nayru or Farore’s side.

But one thing was  _ always _ the same with Nayru and Farore’s Champions. Nayru’s was  _ always _ a priestess or Princess of Hylia’s bloodline. Farore’s was  _ always _ a young boy in a green tunic.

Her mouth went dry and she didn’t breathe for a few moments as some things started clicking together in a misshapen puzzle. Things were still missing, unexplained, or outright hidden from her eyes, but what she could put together just from Ganondorf’s words alone, spelled disaster and a ruse that had been well crafted.

"It is rather rude for a hostess to stare open mouthed at her guest, Princess."

Zelda’s mouth snapped shut with a click and she snapped back to reality, now suddenly very aware of the danger that she was most likely to be in. Drawing herself up with as much poise as she could muster, she buried her hands into her skirt, hiding how white her knuckles were in their folds. “Why would they have given him that piece if he were to fail?”

This smile, like one previously, was full of  _ teeth _ . “Because they choose who gets each one. There is speculation among my people that it’s due to a curse made long ago in eon’s past, and other races believe that the Goddesses are simply vying for reign within the Sacred Realm between one another. But the pattern remains the same. All of which you should know thanks to your lessons,  _ Princess _ ; A Princess of goddess blood, a Boy in green, and a man blessed by Din herself..” 

Tension was high in her body and she refused to drop her gaze from Ganondorf, despite the fact that he practically loomed over her. What he was saying was  _ true _ , it followed the same pattern every time that the cycle had started again. Swallowing as discreetly as she could manage she took a slow breath. “I do know this because of my studies. However it still stands that he  _ failed _ in his Goddess given task, thus why was he allowed to keep the piece he bears?”

“That, you would have to ask the Goddesses themselves. That is one answer that eludes me to this very day. One I would very much enjoy to have an answer to at that.  _ Why didn’t he lose the Triforce of Courage? _ ” His eyes gleamed as he watched her face and she finally looked away after several long moments.

She didn’t know either. Now that it was there practically in her face with the repeated facts, it bothered her more than the fact that Link failed to open the Temple of Time before Ganondorf did. The man before her had been unable to remove the blade housed inside of the Temple, but that didn’t stop the man from trying to take the Triforce. It had shattered and split to go to the three it had chosen as soon as Ganondorf had touched it. 

It was how she knew that something went wrong nine years ago. 

_ A blinding, burning, blistering, and golden pain erupted on the back of her hand, forcing her to cry out and reveal the location where she and Impa were hiding. It had resulted in their capture and she kicked and screamed the whole way back to the Audience chamber where she was held with Impa until Ganondorf returned with her father’s head speared upon the end of his sword and his still bloodied crown in the other. _

_ She screamed even louder in despair struggling and thrashing before she was struck upon the back of her he- _

“A pity that the Goddesses won’t answer just any mortal.” Ganondorf mused, breaking her out of her train of thought. “Perhaps they would listen to  _ you, _ Princess. You do have divine blood after all.”

Her ear twitched slightly and she straightened up and lifted her chin, letting her defiance be known now. “I may have the blood of the Goddesses within me, but that doesn’t mean they will answer anything I ask of them. If you are asking me to demand answers from them I refuse to do so.”

“Even were I to threaten the entirety of Kakariko Village? I know that is where those rebels of yours are hiding away like the vermin they are…” A threat was in the tone of his voice at that and Zelda swallowed thickly.

“I  _ never _ asked for them to rebel against you. But the fact still remains that the Goddesses won’t answer me unless they deem me worthy of the answer they are willing to give.” She spoke with a tone of finality in her voice and turned away from him to move over to the balcony door.

Behind her, Ganondorf was silent for a few long moments, however she could feel his eyes on the back of her head. She placed a hand on the frame of the door and simply remained there, not wanting to speak any longer to the man than she had to.

There was a shift in the air at her side and she didn’t need to turn her head to know that Ganondorf had stepped up next to her to look out over the castle grounds and down to the roofs of the homes in Castletown down the hill. The man remained silent for a few long moments before he finally broke the strained silence. “How are your lessons coming along?”

It took an effort to not snort and roll her eyes at the pointless change in subject, clearly a peace offering for the moment. This she would be willing to discuss at least. Thus, she shoved all thoughts aside of Link and the Triforce and what could be happening to the young man. “My lessons are going as well as expected. Calligraphy and history are second nature now, I’ve learned more of the Gerudo vocabulary that you assigned to my tutors, but the written language is still eluding me, and arithmetic has begun to bore me.” 

“You wish for new subjects to learn then?”

“I wish to learn to fight. Inaction such as I have been doing for the past 9 years is making me antsy enough that art and music are not viable ways to vent the frustrations that I have.” ‘ _ With the way you have treated my people and what you have done to Hyrule itself you bastard.’, _ was left unsaid, lest he strike her in anger.

“No,” was the blunt and shockingly not quick to be given answer, almost as if he had considered allowing her to learn. Ganondorf was still watching the town below, his hands held at the base of his spine as if in thought when she turned her head to look at him. “I am willing to allow you to learn archery, but you will  _ not _ learn to fight with a blade or spear. Archery is a discipline of it’s own more fitting of your stature and status. We wouldn’t want you to be bruised and battered from the weapons my soldiers would use against you either.”

Zelda pursed her lips in distaste for a moment before she spoke once more, irritation leaking into her voice. “Archery is something I know how to do already. I haven’t held a bow since you took me hostage, but I know well how to use one.”

“The matter remains. Archery or nothing, Princess.” His head turned only just enough to fix one golden eye on her, staring at her, almost  _ daring _ her to argue further with him.

She grit her teeth and turned away from him again, taking in a slow breath before letting it free even slower, soothing her temper down as much as she could. It was better than nothing, yes, but it still angered her that she was left to be invalid and incapable of protecting her people. It was likely though that he would have one of his fellow Gerudo teach her, which could be a boon in a way. They knew him far better and perhaps she could learn more and see if anything she learned could be sent out to Kakariko.

There was no doubt the Sheikah were still trying after all this time to free her. If she could find a way to make it easier for them, all the better. A throat cleared and she resisted the urge to startle as she returned to the present. Ganondorf was watching her again, an eyebrow raised, as if expecting an answer to a question. “Yes?”

“You were lost in your own thoughts once more, weren’t you princess?” At the setting of her jaw Ganondorf snorted in amusement before repeating what he had apparently asked. “We will be having a banquet in two weeks time, I expect you to be present of course. Would you like a tailor to be brought to you for a new dress or would you rather wear one that you already have?”

That caught her off guard slightly. “Another banquet? We had one only a few days ago.”

A wave of his hand cut her off. “I wish to hold another. It is that simple my dear. You are of the age where marriage is necessary. This is for you to find a potential suitor or two amongst the people.”

Zelda bristled again, her fingers twisting in the fabric of her skirts again as she stood up to her full height again. “I will  _ not _ be sold off like a broodmare!”

“You are the one to assume that Princess. I simply wish for you to find a husband and settle down. If you choose to do nothing more than produce children then that is your decision.” Amusement was in golden eyes at the direction this turned and Zelda’s fury grew sharply. 

“I have no wish to find a suitor nor have a child anywhere near  _ your _ influence Ganondorf. I am not looking, nor will I accept any hands that are turned towards mine clearly under threat and order from you. Were I to choose someone it would not be from this kingdom, and I would refuse to remain under your grip were I to marry.” She spat at him, taking one step backwards so she wasn’t looking straight up at his face looming above her.

The expression on his face was closed off now, and she resisted the building instinct to shrink down or hide away. Suddenly, it was smothering. Zelda could feel the building swell of magic pushing down heavily on her, trying to drag her to the floor from the weight. A step forward from him had her taking a step backwards until her back in the wall and he stopped in front of her.

Magic crackled like static, tasted bitter like pine sap or sword oil on her tongue, and weighed like a boulder settled on her chest. Breathing was difficult and she felt her knees wanting to give way, to drag her to the floor. She held firm, locking her knees with as much strength as she could manage as even more of his magic began to suffocate her, making her lungs scream in protest, begging for air as she gasped.

“You  _ will _ find a potential suitor at this banquet, Princess. I  _ will _ find one for you if you do not even make an attempt.” Ganondorf’s voice was low, threatening and filled with power. He was only two short steps away from her and he loomed over her, magic amplifying his presence in the room multiple times over to the point she was starting to feel a bone deep numbness and black was beginning to creep up the edges of her vision.

None of the pressure let up, continuing to steadily increase even as she struggled to breathe. Both of her legs quivered violently, threatening to give out again, even from the way she had them locked to keep her up. 

“ _ Do you understand me? _ ”

A choked gasp left her. “Y- _ yes _ .”

Instantly all of the magic vanished as if it were never there. The moment she was able to get a lungful of air, she started coughing and her legs finally gave out. Zelda slid down the wall in a slump, muscles shaking violently as she tried to stave off the beginnings of a black out. Both of her legs were moved so that she could keep herself braced as best as possible against the wall, allowing her to rest her forehead against her knees.

Above her she could still feel Ganondorf standing, watching her. Everything trembled, hurt, and  _ throbbed _ from how volatile the magic had felt. He didn’t move from where he was standing above her and remained silent until she carefully lifted her head up once the world ceased spinning violently. Her muscles slowly stopped shaking violently and when she finally looked up to meet his gaze, his face was unreadable again.

“Princess, I do not wish to continue this pointless fight with you. You are only alive because of my goodwill and because you are a necessary piece in this long game. If you continue to test me, I will have no qualms handing you over to my mothers.” A tone of finality was in his voice as he stared down at her.

“O-of course… Is there anything else you wish to speak to me about?” Zelda dropped her eyes down to her skirts, knowing for the moment her battle was lost and it would be easier to give in to what he was saying for now.

“The only other thing I wanted to inform you of is that the banquet will be open to  _ everyone _ . Think of this doubling as…  _ peace talks _ to further unite Hyrule and its neighbors.” The way he spoke settled like a rock in her stomach, it was a ruse, she knew it was, and there was  _ nothing _ she could do to get word out to those arriving for the farce.

Zelda didn’t even bother looking up to meet Ganondorf’s gaze, not wanting to run the chance of betraying her emotions any further than she already had. “I… Please send for a tailor then. For an event as-”

A lump swelled in her throat and she struggled a moment to swallow it down to finish her words without her voice shaking. “For an event as important as this, it would be prudent that I have an appropriate outfit prepared.”

“As you ask. I will return sometime later today with the tailor to make her measurements of you and to let you discuss what you desire for designs and such. I would suggest taking a rest Princess, you look pale.” He finally stepped back and turned away, going towards the door leading to the stairs.

She said nothing to him as the door shut behind the man and simply stared at the far wall for several long quiet minutes, ears straining to make sure that no one could possibly be listening in to her rooms. Getting to her feet took another minute while she let herself regain her footing, shaking out her skirts before she turned to her bedchambers. Once inside she barely made it to her bed before she collapsed onto her knees in front of it and slumped partly onto the plush mattress. 

Curling her fingers into the blankets beneath her torso she pulled herself, with as much effort she could manage, slippered feet sliding along the stone beneath her, onto the bed itself and lay on her side, burying her face into her pillows. Things started to click together as she lay there in the silence, what Ganondorf had said rang through her mind.

“ _ Why didn’t he lose the Triforce of Courage? _ ”

That repeated over and over again as she lay on the top of her covers. No answer was coming to her, but the sinking realization that she had been verbally assaulting someone who was likely just as much a victim as herself, struck her with the force of a carriage at full speed. Impa had taught her better, her  _ father _ had taught her better and she had still...

Everything that she had said to him over the years spilled back over her, every door that she had slammed in his face, things being thrown wildly at him in moments of her outrage,  she had never truly hit him with anything but the fact still stood . Every single action made in anger she had taken against him was rolling over her now. 

“ **_Why didn’t he lose the Triforce of Courage?_ ** ”

She had no answer to that question and she doubted that were she to ask, that she would even receive one either. Memories began rising unbidden and pushing against her mind to be acknowledged. One in particular stuck out and she clenched her eyes shut tight, turning her face to press against the pillow under her so she could scream. 

_ She was staring at the far end of the table, her hands shaking faintly in her lap as she watched the familiar boy step out from behind Ganondorf’s chair. His head was bowed, but she recognized him easily from how his hair parted. Her eyes broke from looking at the other child to meet Ganondorf’s smug expression and she felt her heart drop into her feet. _

_ “Here he is. I have plans to have him train to be part of your guard, and in time the head of my army,” the man lifted a hand and settled it on top of Link’s head and Zelda saw him flinch and ignored it instantly. Anger, betrayal, fury, and desperation flared and churned within her chest seeing how silent Link was. “In time, after I decide to announce to the rest of Hyrule of his presence, he will be primarily in charge of watching over you Princess.” _

_ “I don’t want him to.” _

_ “It is not your choice.  _ **_I am making it so._ ** _ Do not test my patience.” The man’s voice thundered through the room.  _

_ Zelda had flinched and turned her gaze away from Ganondorf’s again, swallowing thickly as she clenched her fingers around one another, her trembling hands far more violent now. Her appetite had long since abandoned her the moment Link rounded Ganondorf’s chair and it was a moment or two before she lifted her gaze to meet Link’s for a moment.  _

_ Air caught in her throat seeing two different colored eyes, blue and red watching her before they turned away. That cocktail of emotions reared back up and she swallowed before she spoke. “May I be excused? I have lost my appetite and I wish to rest.” _

_ She didn’t move until Ganondorf had given her permission and before he had even returned to his own plate, Zelda was already up and moving swiftly to the door. She didn’t know who she hated more at this moment. _

_ Ganondorf for stealing her kingdom, killing her father, and taking Impa away. _

_ Or Link, the boy who she had trusted above everything and everyone else to stop this from happening, only to turn his back on the people who had welcomed him with open arms. _

The memory faded and so did her screams into the fabric of her pillow as she realized what she had outright ignored. The flinch. She hadn’t bothered to  _ acknowledge _ the fact that Link had visibly flinched when Ganondorf had put a hand on his head. Already that lost into her emotions and belief of betrayal as she was. 

Unbidden, Zelda remembered another time where she had seen him. The first time she saw him after that day was at the execution platform, specifically of a man who had stolen several dozen bags of various food items and other necessary things from a few market stalls over a short period of time before he was caught by one of the Gerudo guards. She shivered, remembering what happened and the fact she wasn’t allowed to leave per Ganondorf’s orders.

_ The crowd was quiet with only murmurs of no discernable origin breaking it and fear was heavy in the atmosphere from the situation at hand. Zelda hadn’t been given a choice in her presence there on the platform reserved for the Royal family and it’s immediate vassals. Ganondorf was to her left, sitting on the temporary throne while she was in a far more simple high backed chair. _

_ The eyes of the civilians in the crowd were flicking back and forth between herself and the King at her side, some murmuring behind their hands while others were specifically watching only the King with a burning fury. Zelda had no doubt some thought her a meek and obedient flower at his side when it couldn’t be further from the truth. The ornate gold and ruby necklace around her throat was the only reason she was even past the boundaries of her tower in the castle, and even then, only because Ganondorf was present. _

_ She was tense, her eyes locked on the covered open air cells that she knew held prisoners, innocent or not of the crimes they were accused of. She could faintly hear chains rattling behind the covered bars and soft pleas for mercy from those within. No mercy would be granted, Zelda knew this full well, and her heart went out to each man or woman that were behind the spelled material. _

_ “Bring forth the first.” The crowd silenced immediately as two guards began to do as Ganondorf ordered.  _

_ The man dragged out of the first covered cage dug his heels into the ground and pulled backwards on the manacles around his wrists. His eyes were wild with terror and looking in every direction he could, seeking a way out of his situation, chest heaving in echo of his fear. He was dressed in decently tailored clothing, only soiled by the past few days worth of grime and filth.  _

_ ‘ _ Once a man of middle status...’ _ Zelda thought. _

_ “No please! I-I just-! I beg you your M-Majesty this is a mistake! I’m n-not guilty of this!” The man staggered onto the lower platform where there was a block of indented solid black wood positioned in the center of the platform along with a stack of baskets in the left corner and a single one on the far side of the block. One of the soldiers pushed the man down to his knees in front of Ganondorf and herself, allowing him to face them for the moment.  _

_ Zelda’s fingers tightened in the folds of her dress as she met the man’s eyes. She could see the abject terror in the man’s eyes but she knew that nothing she could say or do would spare him the fate that awaited him. A rock formed in her throat and she swallowed heavily around it as Ganondorf stood up next to her and he held out a hand to receive a scroll. _

_ “Demetrius va Lancuet, Head of House Lancuet and Regent of House Fernis, accused of thievery and resisting arrest when confronted. You are charged with stealing 10 twenty pound sacks of grain, 2 three pound bags of salt, 2 three pound bags of sugar, three dozen bundles of various herbs of many different rarities, 2 bushels of apples, and one horse and wagon. How do you plead?” The king read off of the scroll before rolling it back up and handing it back to the man who had given it to him. _

_ “Not guilty! The guards were after another man I swear!” _

_ Ganondorf made a low hum of contemplation that echoed over the silence of the crowd and Zelda could have sworn she heard the soft sound of a woman crying from within the mass of people gathered there. She shifted slightly, turning her head slightly to look at Ganondorf’s back.  _

_ “I do not believe you. The reason I do not is because there are several witnesses to your actions, not all of them my Gerudo guards either. Several of your fellow Hylians witnessed you taking these things without payment. What I  _ **_would_ ** _ like to know is this, where have you taken the things you have stolen and to whom are you giving them?” _

_ The very air around the two platforms thickened, the sensation of electricity prickling across her skin had the hair on her arms standing on end and she resisted the urge to rub them to rid herself of it. She didn’t know what sort of spell the Gerudo man was using, but she could tell that it was aimed primarily at Demetrius. _

_ There was a visible show of willpower that the man was putting off, struggling desperately to not give in to the force weighing down upon him. It was futile however. Only a minute or two passed before the man sobbed. _

_ “T-To the outskirts… A-A cave in the wall, i-it’s shallow and hidden by a curtain of v-vines… E-Everything I have t-taken is hidden there…” Demetrius was bowed over, forehead nearly touching the platform in front of him as he confessed to the crime committed. _

_ “Who is it for?” _

_ The air chilled, almost violently so and Zelda shivered in response to the sudden change in temperature. She straightened up and turned a little further in her chair, ready to turn her head as quickly as possible to not watch what was going to happen.  _

_ “Refugees… For the refugees…” _

_ A snort escaped Ganon’s throat and his magic retreated, air returning to the warmth that it had been before and the weight of it simply gone. With his left hand he made a gesture that Zelda did not see and the sound of footsteps climbing up the stairs just past her line of sight had her following where she believed the person was moving to. Murmurs started up in the crowd again and she strained her ears to catch what was being said. _

_ There was too much, but she didn’t need to hear when she could see who they were speaking about now. Link stepped into her line of sight, coming to a halt just to the side of the block of wood, his face was blank and his hand was tight on the hilt of the sword in his grasp. _

_ “The punishment for your crime, had it been far smaller would only be the loss of a hand. Yet because of the amount you stole from the merchants at the market, your life is forfeit. Be thankful that your death will be swift.” Ganondorf made a gesture that had the previous two guards stepping forward to maneuver the now silent man around to place him in the position he needed to be in. _

_ His head was turned away from their platform, facing the crowd and Link stepped forwards, shifting his hold on his weapon to both hands. Ganondorf returned to the throne next to her as the other teenager moved into position and she saw him watching her out of the corner of her eyes. _

_“Princess, you_ ** _will_** _watch this.”_

_ She gave a stiff nod to the question and took in a slow breath, pressing the palms of her hands firmly into her lap as the sword moved up above Links’ head. Her eyes were fixed on the back of his head, hoping that he could feel the anger and fear she was directing at him for what he was about to perform.  _

_ When Link spoke, his words caught her off guard slightly. Barely audible even through the silence. “Do you have any last words Demetrius?” _

_ “I am sorry Barris… Stay strong my son.” The man’s voice was only just loud enough to carry over the heads of everyone in the front few rows and there was a ripple among them. _

_ “Do it.” _

_ Ganondorf’s voice rang out and there was a whistle of the air being sliced through before the sword swung down in a ceaseless arc and severed flesh and bone easily. The muffled thump of the sword embedding into the wood was only broken by another thump as the man’s now severed head rolled into the basket below.  _

_ “DADDY!” a child’s voice shrieked from the crowd followed by a wail from a woman. Quite possibly the child’s mother and wife or mistress of the man who was now dead. _

_ Link pulled his sword back and stepped aside as the man’s body slid towards him. Blood splattered the young man’s sabatons and greaves, and began pooling around the block and his feet. He didn’t make a move to kick the man’s body like Zelda had seen other executioners do, but the disinterested expression on his face was just as bad in her opinion. _

_ She was pale, she had felt the blood drain from her face as she watched it happen, it being far worse than the few other executions that she had been witness to before this. Nausea was building rapidly in her stomach, turning her breakfast over countless times and it was becoming difficult to smother it down. Her anger at Link’s lack of reaction was only stirring up the nausea in her stomach and she made an audible swallow before turning her head away from the grisly sight. _

_ Sobs still reached her ears and there was a nearly frantic wave of people ushering the pair out of the crowd at the back. Hopefully an effort to get them out of the city where they would be safe from the wrath of the Tyrant next to her. _

_ The two guards that had dragged Demetrius up to the chopping block moved to lift the man’s body and take it off to a wagon where he was unceremoniously thrown into the back as she turned away. A splash of a bucket indicated that another guard or even Link was cleaning off the platform for the next soul and she looked up to the sky, fighting back tears now. _

_ “Bring forth the next.” _

_ Ganondorf’s voice had her gritting her teeth and clenching her eyes shut tightly, tears fighting hard to leak freely. This time it was the sound of a woman’s voice screaming in fury for release and Zelda didn’t know how much more she could take. These were her people, the people she’d been born to lead and protect and here she was, nothing more than a piece in a game.  _

_ She could do  _ **_nothing_ ** _ for them right now. _

_ Only languish in a tower while the world around her suffered.  _

_ When she opened her eyes again the woman’s head was laying on the block and Link was standing above her as he had Demetrius. Zelda didn’t even know who she was or what she had been accused of. Only that Ganondorf had found her guilty and guilty enough for death. _

_ “Do you have any last words Sylvia?” _

_ “May the ‘King’ burn in Hell.” the woman spat out, the foot on her back holding her in place as she twisted and writhed. _

_ “Do it.” _

_ The sword swung down again and Zelda closed her eyes before the blade connected with flesh and bone. She couldn’t watch again. _

_ She couldn’t. _

Zelda shook her head violently and pushed away the remainder of the memory, hating that there were so many people killed or maimed by Link’s hands, but again, she noticed something looking back. For all of those he had been ordered to kill as an executioner, he always asked them for anything else they wished to say, never unkindly either.

More interactions, distant and personal, over the years began standing out, almost all of those that involved their captor having Link completely silent and practically shying away from the older man until they were both 17 years old. By then Link hadn’t flinched unless the motion was rapidly done, only looking blankly at anything but the man. He followed everything to the letter when given an order.

Some days he would come to guard her rooms, looking exhausted and his left eye, the red one, looking as if it had been inflamed from how discolored the flesh around it appeared to be. She remembered seeing faint characters, in the Gerudo script she struggled to learn, beneath his eye. They stood out stark against his skin in a grey toned ink, that almost could blend with his skin were he a healthier color, but stood out against his paler skin.

There were days without him that she was left in solitude but for the stalchildren that brought her food and the scrolls for her lessons to continue without someone to escort her. Then he would return, battered looking, exhausted, and more often than not completely silent unless he had something to address or inform her of.

That prompted the memory of the last time she saw him nearly two days ago in fact.

_ Link was standing just inside her chambers, his arms resting behind his back, eyes fixed on the far wall and the window outside the tower. The sun was slowly setting, turning the walls of the nearby cliffs a rusted red and orange color deeper than would be natural. He was quiet, he always was and Zelda gripped the edges of the book in her hands tightly, smothering down the anger that was building in her chest as she watched him with narrowed eyes over the top of the book. _

_ Her concentration was gone when he had shifted ever so slightly, his armor scraping violently across one piece and another. She grit her teeth at the sound and snapped the book shut, setting it in her lap. _

_ Link didn’t budge at the sound. _

_ “Why don’t you find a new set of armor so that you cease sounding like nails on a chalkboard?” Slowly he turned his head to her, the expression on his face didn’t move beyond a faint twitch at the corners of his lips and her eyes narrowed. “Well?” _

_ “I am wearing new armor, Princess. Any armor I wear turns to this state shortly after I begin wearing it.” he replied softly, keeping his voice level and meeting her gaze evenly. _

_ She scoffed and rolled her eyes. “I know for a fact that it is only through ill upkeep and misuse of any armor or weapon that rusts it.” _

_ “Magic, Princess.” _

_ “ _ **_You_ ** _ know magic?”  _

_ “Only a few offensive and defensive spells, but not the one that affects my armor. I am not privy to that spell, it is a punishment I suppose.” He turned his eyes away from her again, fixing on the cliffs beyond the glass once more. _

_ Zelda pursed her lips and rolled her eyes again. “I highly doubt that. You’re his  _ **_pet_ ** _ , a loyal servant who does no wrong in his eyes.”  _

_ That drew a faint twitch from Link and she caught sight of it and straightened up, alert now that she knew what to look for. She knew where to dig in. Opening her mouth, she watched as Link tensed faintly, his lips thinning out. _

_ “Well? You serve the mans every whim, I’ve watched you execute several dozen men from my balcony, if not from the executioners platform, so I know your hands are bloody because of his orders. Yet you do not question him at all.” _

_ “I cannot question him.” A muscle jumped in the others neck and he took a slow breath, closing his eyes. _

_ “More like you won’t.” She snapped out, her words coming out in a snarl. “I wondered what happened to you for three years Link, then you had the audacity to show up after all that time at his side. I had trusted you to stop him from doing what he did and you didn’t!”  _

_ “I wasn’t given the chance to Princess.” He replied stiffly. _

_ Zelda stood up swiftly and the book fell to the floor from her lap with a thump. “Not given the chance!? You had the time to get to the Temple and get to the vault!”* _

_ “I  _ **_was_ ** _ in the Temple. As soon as I left you in the courtyard after I retrieved the Sacred Gems I went straight th-”  _

_ She didn’t even realize she had moved until a rush of air blew past his face and he stopped speaking. A thud and ripple sound of the book that had been thrown hit the wall and then the floor, pages scattering when the binding snapped on impact from the force put behind it.  _

_ Her arm was outstretched and she was shaking violently in anger, cheeks flushed. Zelda glared at Link. “Get out.” _

_ “Princess, If you would just le-” _

_ “I said  _ **_get out_ ** _ Link, I don’t want you in my presence any longer.” _

_ She watched him close his eyes and take in a breath before he opened them again. He gave her a short bow before turning on his heels with a soft murmur and creak of his armor. “As you wish, Princess.” _

_ The door shut behind him and her arm finally dropped before she brought both arms to wrap them around herself as she sank back down to the sofa. Tears of anger were welling up in her eyes and she grabbed for a pillow to bury her face into it. “I hate this… I…”* _

“I don’t understand it...” Zelda twisted on the bed and curled up as much as her clothing allowed her to, ignoring the state that the fabric would end up looking like later on. She buried her face into her pillows and reached around to find the edge of a blanket to just cover her head up. A chill settled in her skin and she wanted to stave it off as much as she could while she went over every single memory she had of Link. “How could he…”

Knowing what she finally did, or at least a little of, set several factors into perspective that she was kicking herself for not noticing before. He never met Ganondorf’s eyes directly, he never raised his voice to anyone, never caused any excessive pain or harm to those he executed or maimed, avoided the Twinrova whenever they were around unless ordered to remain, the  _ scarring _ ...

She only remembered seeing him once without any armor or shirt, even that was from a distance but his back was a mess of criss-crossing lines and his arms were in much the same state to his elbows. It was a miracle he could even move with how severe it was and… That wasn’t the scarring around his mouth.

“Oh  _ Hylia _ …” Shoving the blanket off of her she fell off of her bed in an effort to bolt for the window as an intense wave of nausea washed over her. She leaned out over the sill as far as the magic allowed and promptly vomited everything she had eaten that day, up. 

It took the better part of a few minutes, but once her stomach finished rebelling against her she slumped against the window sill and slid down the inside of the wall to bury her face into her hands and knees. A few moments passed for her to regain her breath without feeling like she would continue to heave and when she managed it, she lifted her head up and blinked the tears free. 

To the open air of her room, to whatever deity would hear her, she questioned softly and brokenly. “What… what have I done this whole time?”


	11. Disobedience (Link - Fallen)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Refusals come in all shapes. Some are simple, others are painful. 
> 
> Others, well... Others take that level to agonizing disobedience.
> 
> TW: Intense nightmare, it is marked and you can skip it if you choose to. It involves a Dead Hand.

Link went still, jaw setting firmly and his whole posture was guarded instantly. His eyes were locked on the other teenager and he didn’t flinch away as Sheik finished stepping off the stairs. He didn’t want to deal with the Sheikah warrior at all right now. Not with how close to the surface all sorts of bad memories were floating round. 

There was silence in the room for a few long seconds as Sheik kept their eyes locked on Link. He held their gaze unwavering, refusing to give in to the burning stare aimed at them. He thankfully didn’t have to wait long for them to speak up though. “You saw what happened to my mother?”

The way it was said was phrased as a question, but Link knew full well it was meant as a statement only needing confirmation. The tone alone had a muscle jump in the side of his neck, knowing exactly how this conversation would end up going now. He wouldn’t be able to get directly out of this easily, but he was going to try anyway, his voice was stiff and wary. “I did.”

“Tell me everything,  _ now _ .” 

He bristled at the demand and he watched as Time stood up from where he had been sitting and dusted off his pants before stepping up to Sheik side. The older man lightly touched Sheik’s elbow and that drew the younger’s attention long enough for Link to turn his back to them now.

“Demanding an answer won’t get anything from the one you want to give it,” his voice was soft, but firm and Link felt his ears twitch faintly as he heard a soft huff. 

“I need to know what happened to her!” Sheik snapped out. “She shouldn’t have been killed in the first place.”

“No, she shouldn’t have but again, demanding an answer from someone, especially of a topic such as this, is  _ not _ how you go about seeking it.”

“A topic?!  _ He witnessed my mothers fucking murder!” _

“Exactly. As a  **_child_ ** no less. It’s likely something traumatic, Goddesses know that when I was his age, seeing something like that would have done the same to me.”

“Bu-”

“Stop.” Link snapped out, stopping Sheik from pushing further. “I don’t want to talk about it right now. It’s bad enough that I witnessed it first hand. Being practically  _ ordered _ to relive the whole thing again? I’m not going to. I know you deserve to know what happened, but I’m  _ not _ going to be ordered.”

Link didn’t turn back around, still facing the wall with the window, both of his eyes were locked on the thin sliver of blue-ish purple he could see stretching across the horizon. He could feel Sheik’s eyes staring at him and he took a slow breath in and held it, ready for the other to react. 

It didn’t take long.

“I just want an answer to something we all have wanted to know for years!”

“I’m not going to relive it  _ again _ just to satisfy your curiosity.”

“What you can tell me is if my mother di-”

“I said  _ no. _ Stop asking me. I’m done talking, please leave so I can try to sleep since I didn’t get the chance to at all last night, as people kept ‘visiting’ me.” The temptation to bunch up his shoulders around his ears like a child was  _ high _ but he didn’t, he stayed in his exact position and waited in the now stunned quiet.

He heard the rooms remaining occupant stand up, judging by the soft clink of metal hitting metal, he had moved enough to jostle the sword in the sheath. “Leave it for now, please. He was looking tired when we came down.”

“I know you want answers, I do too, but Sky is right. We should let Link try to get some sleep Sheik. I’d rather he be willing than try to pry answers from him through any other method.” Time’s voice was firm, challenging even, and Link tilted his head slightly, catching a glimpse of the three behind him through his bangs.

“My mother has been dead for at least 7 years. I deserve to  _ know _ exactly what happened to her! My grandmother deserves to know what happened to her  _ daughter! _ ” Sheik snarled and took a step away from the pair, closer to the bars, fury evident in their stance. 

Link took a slow breath in and held it for a few moments in the strained and tense silence. His voice was soft, level. “I won’t keep that from you, but right now, I just  _ want _ to be left alone. I’ve already relived that memory once today, I  _ don’t _ want to relive it again so quickly.”

“Just tell me what killed her, that’s all I want to know!”

“Telling you means going into vivid details that I  _ refuse _ to remember again right now. Ask again the day after  _ tomorrow _ and I’ll tell you then.” There was a tone of finality in his voice as he lifted his head up again, turning it so he was once more facing the back wall.

“You just plan to take it to your grave don’t you?” was Sheik’s incredulous response   
  


“Sheik, that’s enough.” Time’s deeper voice spoke up, stopping the other teenager from continuing again with a warning tone.

  
Link grit his teeth and took another deep breath before he addressed Sheik. “I at least know what awaits me in whatever grave I’m given here in your people’s grasp. I’m not afraid to die as a prisoner of someone other than Ganondorf.”

There was a beat before Sheik scoffed. “ _ Please _ , you’d be buried in a gilded tomb for your service to that bastard if you died in his presence.” 

In hindsight, he would regret this, but at the moment, he was  _ livid _ . Link whipped around, facing the cell bars and he bared his teeth in his own anger. “I would not be buried in a gilded tomb. I would be  _ lucky _ to remain as a hylian you narrow-minded  _ brat! _ Ganondorf has always seen me as a puppet, a  _ tool _ to keep Hyrule itself in line!

“People like you are the reason that I am being thrown around from place to place trying to quell the rebellion and save as many fucking people as I possibly can with my hands basically tied behind my damned back! I told you before that I am bound far tighter than you know. This mark on my face?” With a rough motion he gestured to his left cheek, the flesh still swollen and bruised from the blow he took last night.

“It’s a seal that keeps me under his thumb. I  _ can not _ inflict a fatal blow on him while this is unblemished in my skin.” A warning burn sparked along the words he knew were inked around his eye. “This seal keeps me ‘loyal’ to him only because he knows that I would and could kill him given the chance!”

Sheik clearly wasn’t backing down if the way they squared up their shoulders and sneered at him. “Then you should break the spell.”

“Sheik-” Time reached forward to pull the teenager back, voice sharp, but Link was faster.

Link stepped up to the bars and reached out as quickly as he could and he snagged the front of Sheik’s top by the collar and dragged them to the bars so they were practically nose to nose. Sheik grunted upon impact, but Link didn’t care, keeping his gaze locked with the other. “I  _ can’t _ break it on my own, any slice I try to inflict upon it by my own fucking hand just slides off.  _ This _ is what he uses to ensure my loyalty to him. You  _ saw _ what happened in the canyon, he can see through my eye and use my voice whenever he wishes to, as well as take some semblance of control.”

Roughly he shook Sheik, both hands firmly holding onto their top as he hissed through his teeth, even as the seal around his eye throbbed and began to heat up further. “Imagine if it were you. Imagine if you were forced to learn to fight. To suffer through  _ three fucking years _ of torture and witness countless deaths that you just become  _ numb _ . Any time that I tried to disobey his orders I would be doubled over in pain. Imagine the sensation of a knife being gouged into your eye, burning, ripping, and dragging.”

“Imagine if the one person you had hoped would see through the situation you were trapped in spat in your face and called you a traitor, did everything under her power to belittle you, and you can’t do  _ anything _ to tell her the truth because your tongue is tied to the spell and you suffer with every word you say. You can’t tell her anything no matter how much you want to because she keeps cutting you off.” The pain surrounding his eye was blistering now and he had no doubt that the complete seal was visible, vivid white against red skin. His cheek and forehead felt as if they were on fire but he did his best to ignore it.

“You were not in my shoes Sheik. You have  _ no _ right to judge what you were not witness to.” He took a deep breath and shoved Sheik away, sending the other staggering backwards into the two silent heroes' grasp. “If you want to kill me then fine, at least I won’t be turned into one of his actual pets and used against the country I’ve done everything I possibly can to save while in my position.”

His eyes were watering from the pain, but he refused to allow the tears to fall as he kept his gaze locked with Sheik. The other was finally rendered speechless and he took that victory as it was, even as the spell flared again.

“You said that you can’t do it yourself right?” the hero holding the blade asked quietly.

He hesitated, feeling the spell twisting on his cheek, deciding he may as well suffer through the remainder of the punishment being inflicted to the extent. He could hold out against it for some time still, Twinrova had done worse than this. “I can’t, no. Someone else however  _ can _ .”

A soft chiming rang through the air and that drew Link’s eyes away from Sheik finally to look at the sword. It was shimmering faintly in its sheath and Sky was still holding her with a firm grip. There was a thoughtful light in his gaze as he looked between Link and the blade in his grasp. He licked his lips before he spoke again, looking back up to meet Link’s eyes.. 

“Does it need to be each piece of the spell broken or only one?”

The portion of the spell inked at the hollow of his throat flared in warning this time and he had to swallow thickly with a grimace clear on his face now. He managed to grit his teeth through the pain. “Only one needs broken.”

This time he flinched visibly as the spell flared violently and he brought his hands up to clutch at the left side of his face. The force behind it was enough to knock the air out of his lungs and he struggled to catch a lungful of air for several long painful seconds. Both eyes were squeezed shut tightly and he had to lock his knees to remain upright in an effort to not fall forward into the bars. 

It was silent for a few moments while he caught his breath and when the pain dulled down he pulled his hands free, blinking his eyes open to see open concern on both of the heroes’ faces. “That’s all that I can tell you right now. Nothing more or he’ll get curious to why it’s reacting and look through my eyes at you himself.”

“Doesn’t he know who we are already?” Time asked where he was standing behind Sheik, his gaze flicking up to Link then back to the now silent teenager in front of him.

“Not what you look like up close at least, it was dark the first time he saw you through me, and while I can see in the dark with this spell in place, it’s not the clearest. I’d rather he  _ not _ know that, your exact appearance is a mystery to him, but he can recognize the sword.” He closed both eyes again and took in a slow deep breath again, trying to stave off the swelling pain once more. “May I be left alone now?”

As Sheik opened their mouth, Time moved, preventing any further argument from possibly starting by snagging the teenager around the middle and pulling them up under his arm. An absolutely indignant noise left their mouth as Time turned to the door. “We are  _ not _ going to continue this right now Sheik. You’ve provoked him  _ more _ than enough today.”

“Put me down!” Sheik twisted like an eel, kicking their legs out before bringing one knee up and into the back of the elder man’s thigh in an effort to be dropped. It didn’t work and neither did the teenager’s arms pushing and shoving at the man’s side. In all truth the sight of it reminded Link of a feral cat being picked up by a knight wearing gauntlets, had he not still been in pain he would have laughed aloud.

“Not until we are back upstairs.”

Time was just out of eyeshot up the stairwell when Link turned his attention to Sky who had an exasperated look on his face as he too watched Time leave the room. The other hero was quiet for a moment before he looked to Link. “Time or I will take care of that when you wake up. If it frees you, then… That opens up a lot of things for you to be able to accomplish outside of Ganondorf’s control.”

Link didn’t know what to say at the moment, the kindness that was being offered catching him off guard. But he  _ had _ answered exactly how to get rid of it honestly. He also wanted the chains on him  _ gone _ , so he wouldn’t turn this down. “Thank you…”

Sky smiled at him and then turned to follow the other pair up the stairs as the sword let another softer series of chimes free, the tones ringing in the quiet of the cells for a long second and Sky paused, listening to it before he turned to face Link again. “She’s hoping that with this, we’ll be able to help you right what went wrong. The incarnation of her here, is still in the Temple waiting for you to take her up.”

He  _ hadn’t _ known that. Ganondorf had made a huge show when he destroyed it, he’d been witness to it. The whole of Hyrule had been witness to it.  _ Unless _ … Realization hit him.

Ganondorf had made a huge show of destroying the blade when he was freed from the Twinrova. It was done publicly as well, but he wasn’t within sight of the populace. He’d been on a balcony above the square, shrouded in a thick black cloak, where the man had shattered the blade. Eight fragments. He remembered watching it shatter with the force behind the enchanted hammer that came down on its’ pommel.

Some of the fragments had flown off into the crowd, striking people while others simply skittered across the cobblestone. That day was engraved into his mind because he could have sworn he had heard a scream of pain come from the blade or even the hammer. But he had done nothing but swallow thickly and stand in silence. Ganondorf had looked up to the balcony directly at him and Link had turned his eyes away. 

He hated that memory. To find out that the real sword was still intact… A flutter of hope started to bloom in his stomach, marred only by the thorny feeling of the Seal on his face.

Coming back to himself, Link inhaled sharply as another twinge of pain pulsed through his body. Seeing that Sky was waiting patiently for him to say something, he responded softly. “I will have to be the one to deliver the final blow to him, so I am hoping that I can reach her. The Temple is destroyed though, so getting to her will be difficult.”

“You will. To both, and She says that the Temple is nearly whole. But for now, get some rest, I’ll try and keep everyone from bothering you, Time will too.” Another small smile was sent his way before he started up the stairs and vanished out of sight.

Straining his ears, he waited until he heard no other sounds in the cells before he collapsed to his knees and doubled over again. A hand snapped up to his mouth and he bit into the meat of his palm to muffle the cry of pain that he’d been holding back. Agony continued to wrack his whole body and it sent shivers and spasms along his muscles, making his every nerve feel like it was on fire. 

Once that wave of pain was washed away with the usual lingering numbness creeping in behind it, Link staggered up to his feet using the bars in front of him as a support. After a few long seconds of trembling muscles, he felt capable of moving. He turned to make his way to the cot and he slid onto it. Shuffling carefully around on it he lay on his left side, back to the rest of the wall- and his face pressed into the thin pillow.

Gradually the few lingering bits of pain faded into the background and his muscles slowly relaxed, feeling boneless by the time it was completely gone. Exhaustion was now eating away at him and he settled in after squirming his way under the thin blanket that he was laying on top of.

Sleep came quickly. 

But it was  _ far _ from peaceful.

_**!!!!!! Intense nightmare warning ahead** _ _. **!!!!!!!**_

_ Fire and screams echoed in his mind as he ran, his short legs tripping and stumbling over rubble and unmoving bodies of Castletown as he bolted for the Temple of Time. _

_ Blurry faces were wailing and skeletal, clawed hands grasped for him. _

_ Blood was smearing across his face, neck, and arms as the hands slid free without getting a firm grip. _

_ Suddenly, long fingered hands on the spindly limbs tipped in razor sharp claws dug into his legs, yanking him down, dragging him back through the fire. _

_ The door to the Temple was  _ **_right there_ ** _! _

_ He screamed and thrashed and pulled and scrambled, trying to rip himself free from the hold on his body as he was pulled closer and closer to the gaping maw of teeth and blood protruding from atop a bloated and pale body. Away from the safest place he knew of. _

_ More hands lifted him upright, dragging him close and twisting around him like a spider’s web, taut, tight, and woven together. _

_ Blistering pain erupted along his left shoulder as serrated teeth bit deep into the meat of his shoulder once he was pulled into it’s range. _

_ Another scream left him, only this time it was deeper, closer to his own voice, his body having grown rapidly into the age he knew he was. _

_He thrashed again and again and_ **_again, finally_** _ripping free, blood falling down his chest, back and shoulder in thick rivulets as he twisted around to stumble backwards away from the pale and bloated body he could now see was the remains of Impa._

_ A choked scream escaped his throat as sharp fingers on spindly limbs punched up through the dirt around him, reaching and grasping and he _ -

Link woke with a start, to the burning sensation of the magic around his eye being forcibly activated. His vision faded fast in that eye and he jerked, bringing both hands up to cover it tightly, ignoring the pain from the black eye to the best of his ability, it was paltry compared to the blackened magic flooding the Seal. 

A sharp gasp broke free as the burning twisted it’s way completely around his eye and down his cheek towards his throat. It stopped just before it reached his voice and he lay on his side, stock still, waiting for Ganondorf to say anything. His left arm from shoulder to fingertip was tingling with a prickly numbness and tried to pull away, unbidden from his own conscious choice leaving him struggling against the force, refusing to let it happen without a fight. Link kept his right hand pushing firmly down on the back of the left which sent a spike of pain through his cheek from the bruise.

Ganondorf’s voice rang in his ears, thundering behind his eyes like the beat of a war drum.  _ “It seems I have underestimated the little rats. You’re still alive I see.” _

The young man grit his teeth tightly and he hissed out a whine as he mentally shot back.  _ “They want me alive.” _

_ “Pity. It seems I will have to wait a bit longer to put forth my plans then.” _ Ganondorf’s voice mused, even as the man continued to try and force Link to move his hand.  _ “Why won’t you let me see where you are my knight?” _

Pain  _ flared _ again and Link twisted on the cot, shoving his face down into the pillow to get some of the material in between his teeth to muffle any further sounds he would inevitably make.  _ “Because you don’t need to see where I am!” _

_ “It seems you and the Princess both are rather...  _ **_spirited_ ** _ today.” _

Link felt a chill crawl down his spine and his mind raced trying to understand what Ganondorf meant by that. Zelda had  _ rarely _ if ever refused or spoke back to Ganondorf.  _ “What do you mean?” _

A low chuckle was the initial response, coupled with another spasm of his arm, trying to drag him upright now from the direction the magic was pushing.  _ “She is refusing, as usual, to do the one thing I wish for her to do. Find a husband to occupy her time and cease her longing for the pathetic rebellion she believes exists.” _

Link choked on the fabric he was biting down on as another vicious wave washed over him. When it passed, he remained in place, panting harshly through his nose.  _ “She doesn’t want one, I know her well enough.” _

_ “Mm, she said as much as well. However her life, like yours, is only hers as long as I wish for her to remain alive. My grandmothers are rather eager to get their hands upon her after all if she continues to defy me.” _

The teenager froze at the mention of the Twinrova and Ganondorf took immediate advantage of his momentary immobility. Link jerked upright, thankfully facing the back wall and he scrambled, muscles spasming and flexing to keep control over his arm and body even as liquid fire licked along each individual nerve in the left side of his body.

_ “Let go of me!” _ Link grit out through his teeth as he replied aloud and within his mind, the words muffled slightly by the fabric he still clenched between his teeth as he hunched forward. 

_ “Why should I? You have never disobeyed my orders like this  _ _ Link _ _. This is simply a punishment, a well deserved punishment at that.” _ There was annoyance clear in the man’s tone now, bordering on anger and it was taking everything Link could muster to remain in control.

_ “I’m not your pet any longer! _ ” Agony lanced through his body again and he started listing towards the side of the cot away from the wall, a weak and choked cry breaking free. The eye Link could see through was blurred with tears and he felt like his chest was constricting tightly as magic twisted and weaved it’s way through his skin and muscles deep into his bones.

A small part of his mind hoped that  _ someone _ upstairs would sense the magic that he knew was weighing down and wrapped around him like a snake. It was thick and cloying, hard to miss. Each second that passed that he was struggling against the spell, allowed Ganondorf to create more iron threads to be twisted into his skin and it simply amplified each fragment of the spell to nearly unbearable levels. 

Finally, a louder choked cry broke free and he inhaled sharply as his mouth was forced open. The fabric fell from between his teeth and he twisted on the bed hard enough against the hold on him that he tumbled off of the bed himself. He landed harshly enough to temporarily break his concentration and Link didn’t react fast enough to keep his hands up firmly against his left eye. 

He was grateful that he was however facing the far wall for the moment as there was a clatter of footsteps coming down the stairs which was enough to draw Ganondorf’s attention. Only able to see out of one eye and having lost partial control over his body, Link wrenched and tore mentally at the threads of magic that the man had on him. 

He couldn’t give in. 

He  _ wouldn’t _ . 

Not when Hyrule would fall further than it had.

Link scrambled and fought to destroy the remaining hold that was keeping him prisoner in his own body and for the first time as long as he could remember, a flare of green tinted golden light shimmered from the back of his hand and began twisting and twining along the limb. An echoing snarl reverberated in his mind as Ganondorf’s grip faltered and slipped. 

Courage was reacting in defense of its bearer. It never had before this. Always remaining locked away and unmoving to his calls or pleas.

Link barely registered the sound of metal screeching against metal as he continued to thrash, physically on the floor and mentally. More metal screeching quickly across the stone had him jerking away and slamming his newly freed hands back over his left eye just before one of the heroes reached his tear-blurred line of sight, hovering over him. He didn’t remember which hero this was, but the insistent tug at his hands was fought against.

Weight on his torso barely registered and he continued to thrash and flail when more weight pushed down on his legs, both limbs jerking with each surge of magic. Everything in his body now burned painfully.

“C-Can’t, G-Ganondorf is l-looking thro-” Link cut off with a gasp as there was a tremendous wave of magic that ripped through him like a tsunami as Ganondorf struck back against the young man’s will. Both of his eyes were clamped shut tightly as he choked on a scream once more as he twisted on the floor. The hands prying his own away from his face finally succeeded and the two pairs of hands holding tightly to his legs shifted a little more securely to hold him and stop him from thrashing.

Words were said above him but he heard none of them over the roaring shriek of magic being torn and twisted around and through his body, Green-Gold viciously fighting Red-Black-Gold. A fourth pair of hands carefully threaded into his hair and held his head firmly in place as a fifth gently prodded at his swollen cheek below his eye. The fresh wave of pain that washed over him had an intense convulsion nearly dislodge the hands holding him down. Heat coiled and twisted into his throat and he knew that at the moment, keeping his eye shut was far more important than controlling his voice. 

_ “The more he struggles and refuses to grant me sight the more he suffers _ ."  Link felt his lips move against his will and he didn’t hear the response of those pinning him down through the shrieking in his mind. But he did feel and hear Ganondorf’s response as the man snarled, his rage saturating the words.  _ “If that’s the way you wish to do this, then I will hunt each one of you down myself and see that your times all fail without your presence.” _

Suddenly there was a different pain, one that overtook a sudden numbness and it was  _ sharp, _ dragging across his cheek before he jolted from the change in type of pain. It shot through him like an arrow. Both of  _ his _ eyes snapped open and he stared up at the ceiling with a sharp gasp, the group surrounding him watching him with bated breath as tears slid free.

Lingering threads of magic were quickly swept away as a warm hand swept across his cheek gently, a soft pink light momentarily blinding him before everything finally rushed in when the comforting and familiar touch of gentle fairy-like magic on his skin faded out.

Darkness snared him and dragged him down into it’s hold, aches and exhaustion taking over and he went limp. Golden green filtering in and out of his vision as he let his eyes slide shut.

He was exhausted.


	12. Liberated (Time)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone remains angry, even with evidence to the contrary, and Link gains his freedom.
> 
> Use of a knife, same stuff as prior chapters, please read the tags.

Time had heard more than enough, and he knew how  _ he’d _ react, and only figured that his younger self would react the same or similar. So he reacted before Sheik got the chance to open their mouth and insert their foot. It was something he did to Wind, Hyrule, and Wild whenever they got into trouble, and it would do wonderfully for this situation currently. A little humility would do wonders he thought. “We are not going to continue this right now Sheik. You’ve provoked him  _ more _ than enough today.”

“Put me down!” Sheik writhed and twisted under his arm after he lifted them up. The teenagers hands and legs didn’t even phase him, even if the knee to the back of his thigh hurt and would likely bruise. 

“Not until we are back upstairs.” Huffing softly he made his way further up the stairs, jostling Sheik once or twice to attempt to get them to stop wriggling.

Sheik didn’t stop, not even after he stepped onto the landing, instead the teenager twisted in his hold like a snake, trying to wriggle free by pushing against Times stomach in an effort to pull free. Time ignored it and simply stopped, standing in front of him was Imelda and her eyes were fixed on Sheik. 

  
“Put me down now! We’re upstairs!” The teen continued to writhe and twist in his grip.

_ “Don’t.” _

Sheik stilled at the sound of their grandmother's voice and slowly turned their attention towards her. Time couldn’t see all of Sheiks’ expressions from the angle they were facing, but he could definitely tell that there was a level of meekness and embarrassment building up pretty quickly in their posture. Sheik didn’t move at all beyond moving an arm to shift upright a little more. “Good morning grandmother…”

Imelda said nothing for several long moments, eyes locked onto the faintly squirming form of her grandchild. The sound of footsteps coming up the stairs behind him indicated that Sky was finally coming up. The younger man stopped at his side and looked between all three of them and simply stepped aside with a small not-quite pleasant smile. “Thank you for the tea this morning Sheik, but you  _ really _ didn’t need to join us when we spoke with Link. The pushing for answers you just did possibly lost any chance for us to know what we can do.”

It was rare for Sky to ever be annoyed with any one. Exasperation was a far more common reaction than outright annoyance, but it appeared that Sky was on that deeper level with what Sheik had done. He couldn’t lie, he was too. It was  _ completely _ uncalled for with how Sheik had verbally attacked Link, and still continued to push even after Link had told them he would talk a different day.

That alone should have stopped the teenager in their tracks, but they just kept  _ pushing _ the matter. It’s a wonder that Link didn’t retaliate further than yanking them up to the bars of the cell door and then shoving them back. He knew full well what it was like to suffer through dark memories, it took himself  _ years _ to be able to open up to Malon comfortably enough to tell her everything. 

Knowing what little he did of his counterpart’s history here, it was a wonder he was even willing to divulge what he had so far. Let alone to two people who were little more than absolute strangers, even if only one of them shared the same past up to a point. Feeling Sheik start squirming again, Time tightened his grip around the others middle and simply waited until Imelda told him he could let the teenager down. 

Judging by the disappointed stare the elderly woman was giving Sheik, it wouldn’t be happening for a little bit. Both of her hands were on the weathered head of her cane, right over left and her face was unreadable beyond her eyes. “Sheik.”

Time felt the teenager go still under his arm and he was glad that he was able to carry a calf or foal under one arm with as much practice he’d had over the years. Holding the teen for any length of time would be easy. Lifting his eyes up he met Sky’s and the younger man had his lips twitch faintly before he stepped past them, going to the low table that Time now spotted had Twilight and Warriors sitting at.

Seeing Twilight up meant that Wild was likely already in the kitchen, making the others a large breakfast. But the exhaustion in Warriors’ face caught his gaze for a moment as Sky sat down next to the pair, setting the Sword gently across his lap. Warriors yawned widely, covering his mouth with one hand while the other reached up to run through his hair. Twilight was staring at the surface of the table in front of them, clearly lost in his own thoughts, he didn’t dwell long on what could be bothering his protege, not yet at least.

“I am deeply disappointed in you grandchild.” Imelda’s voice was quiet and low, low enough for Time to hear, but possibly not the others. “As I told you yesterday in regards to young Barris, we will  _ not _ abuse our prisoners, verbally or physically. We are better than the Usurper King and thus we will treat them with dignity. I am far older than you and with worse eyesight, I see what you do not and what you  _ did _ down there was stepping over the line.

“The Usurpers pet knight he may once have been, but he is no longer. Hano told me what was spoken through him. He will not die by our blades or hands. We will not give him the prize he seeks.” 

“Gra-” The sound of Imelda’s cane rapping sharply on the floorboards in front of her drew the room’s attention when Sheik went to speak up in protest.

“I know what He demands. Link may yet be merely acting, but even an actor’s mask will crack and fail as time goes on. Or he may yet be sincere in doing what he can to save Hyrule while under the yoke of a tyrant. There are things we are not yet privy to by the words of the Goddesses, and we cannot take from them what tools they have yet to use.”

Sheik hissed faintly under their breath and squirmed again, color starting to bloom across their cheeks from embarrassment. They were avoiding their grandmother's gaze, that much was clear. “He still murdered hundreds of ours and the Hylian people on that bastard's orders.”

“That may be, but we are still not the ones meant to judge him. Already he is paying a price, one in spirit at the whims of the Usurper, and one at the hands of the Green Lady through his dreams.” 

“Well it’s clearly not enough of a puni-”

_ “Enough.” _ Time straightened up at the anger that was now audible in Imelda’s voice. The three at the table tensed too, all three pairs looking over at them while Sheik froze again under his arm. “This is what you will be doing instead of training, as it seems to me as if you are in need of discipline. You will be cleaning out the storehouses by hand for the remainder of the week. I expect you to use none of your talents, only your bare hands.”   
  
Sheik jolted and tried to push upright as much as possible, one hand shoved firmly against an old wound by his hip that twinged with pain at the pressure directed upon it. The only sign he let free that it  _ hurt _ was pressing his lips a little more firmly together and a faint flare of his nostrils.

“What!? I just want to get answers, grandmother!” 

“As do I, but my decision still remains. Laboring with your hands will give you plenty of time to reflect upon what you said to him, and to try to force answers out of him without even taking into account what he has seen through his life. We were not questioning him yet. The Hero of Time merely wanted to speak with him as they share similar pasts. Yet you stepped out of turn and took it upon yourself to get answers before we could learn anything he was willing to tell. You know  _ better _ than that Sheik.”

Imelda finally looked up to meet Time’s eye and she gave him a small smile. “Put my grandchild down outside. I’ll send Arlo later with breakfast for them.”

Sheik grumbled and huffed before going lax finally in his hold, bringing both arms together to fold them across their chest. Had Sheik been looking up, Time had no doubt that the teenager would have had a pout or disgruntled look on their face. He’d seen it enough on all of his boys, that it was second nature to read it off their posture.

“Yes ma’am.” He was  _ not _ going to argue or go against her word and he started towards the door without any further prompting. Younger than her he maybe, but he knew better than to go against a Sheikah warrior. With his unoccupied hand he opened the door once he reached it and stepped outside before shifting Sheik around and setting them down on their feet. 

He was right, the teenager was as close to pouting as someone of their heritage and training could get. Time tried not to snort in laughter at the petulant look on their face, only quirking a brow upward. Sheik stared at him in return with some level of defiance for a few moments before huffing and turning on their heel to stalk off towards the right side of the building, shoulders bunched up closer to their ears. He waited until the teenager was out of sight before he turned and went back inside. 

Wild was out of the kitchen now, a large bowl filled with fluffy eggs and a platter layered with toast, sausage, and bacon resting on the table next to his own decently sized stack of pancakes. Everyone else was gathering their own bits of food while Wild returned to the kitchen again before coming out with another three dishes. All more to Sky and Wind’s tastes, white rice, grilled fish, and mixed vegetables, quite possibly their Sheikah host appreciated this as well.

“Hey Time, Four, Wind, Hyrule and Legend are all still upstairs. Hyrule was waiting for Legend, but I think Four and Wind are still out cold.” Twilight lifted his head up from where he was filling his plate. “Did you want to let them come down later? Or should we call them down here now?” 

“I’ll go get them. I’m not quite hungry yet. When everyone has some food we need to talk.” Sky looked up from his own plate, meeting his eyes and nodded, knowing what they would be talking about. He crossed to the stairs and started the climb up, the conversation behind him falling into soft murmurs as everyone began eating. 

He passed the room that he had shared with Twilight and Wild the night before and stopped outside of Sky, Wind, and Four’s room. Knocking softly on the wood, he opened it and poked his head in. “How are you two feeling?”

Four was sitting in the middle of his futon, pulling a brush through his hair still half asleep as he blinked up at the older man. His colored tunic was folded just behind him, leaving him in just his undershirt and pants. “Exhausted. Is everyone else awake then?”

“Almost everyone. Wild made breakfast, I’m coming up to get you two and Hyrule and Legend.” Time turned his attention to Wind who was still buried in his blankets. The youngest was glaring blearly at him from where his eyes were barely visible from under the self made hood of his blanket. “He made more than enough judging by the size of the platters.”

Wind stayed silent for a few long moments before grumbling under his breath, the  _ exact _ words unintelligible, but Time understood the tone behind them and he smiled faintly. “Language. Take your time going down though. Call if you need any help. I remember what ReDead screams do to people your ages or younger.”

“I’m up, I’m up…” Wind pushed himself out of the blankets and a frown was on his face as the teen stretched out with a jaw popping yawn. He slumped forward once he was done yawning and rubbed at his face with both hands, clearly an effort to wake up. “I still feel like crap.”

“I imagine so. Another good meal will help, I can promise you that Wind.” he gave the two younger teens a small smile and stepped back out. “Like I said, take your time. The only pressing matter we have to do today is discuss what we have to do.”

Both of them looked at one another then back at Time, Wind spoke up first. “Wait… What  _ can _ we do here?”

“I have some answers, and an idea where to go from here. But I want all of us to be part of this talk. It’s going to include the Elder.” 

“You talked to him didn’t you?” Four had dropped his hand that had the brush in it to his lap, his attention firmly on the man. 

“I did. Food first, then we talk.” 

“Of course…” Wind made a dramatic noise and flopped back down on the mattress throwing an arm over his face. 

“Head down whenever you’re ready. I’m going to check on Hyrule and Legend next.” Time stepped back out of the room and shut the door, letting the two finish getting dressed. He moved a little further down the hall to where Legend, Hyrule, and Warriors had shared. Stopping as he reached the door, he paused with his hand outstretched to knock, his ears perked up slightly as he heard something in the room.

“Legend?”

“Yeah, Hyrule?”

“Did you leave the room last night?” 

There was a pause and Time heard the shifting of fabric like a shirt being pulled on before he heard Legend’s voice respond. “Just to the bathroom. Why?”

“I… could have sworn you were gone longer…” 

“Nah, you weren’t really awake when I came back. I was also pretty quiet, I didn’t want to wake anyone up.”

Silence was in the room again, Time frowned faintly for a moment before he continued his motion and knocked on the door. He’d bring up what he was thinking of later when it was just himself and Legend. “Are you two awake yet?”

“We are,” Hyrule called out.

TIme opened the door and looked at the two. Legend was finishing the ties on his tunic, his back to Time, and Hyrule was standing up facing him. Neither of them looked well rested either, but at least better than Four and Wind did. “Breakfast is done. Wild made a large one today.”

“I’m starved, I didn’t eat all that well last night.” Hyrule murmured as he shuffled in place.

“None of us did because of that dick.” Legend added bluntly as he roughly finished a tie and turned towards them both from where he was sitting. 

“Legend-”

“Don’t start Hyrule. He’s the reason our time is in the state it’s in. He fucked up, I tried to clean it up, and you’re left with the pieces of what I couldn’t fix.” There was a heavy bitterness in Legend’s voice and Time only lifted a brow before he broke in.

“There’s more to it. We’ve got some answers right now.” Legend turned his eyes to meet his and the youngers’ narrowed.

“You talked to him already?”

“Sky and I both did. Sheik interrupted us and stopped the conversation though. We were going to ask more after he’s slept. He didn’t get any last night from the looks of it.”

Legend rolled his eyes and stood up, smoothing out the wrinkles in his tunic. “Right. Let’s go eat, I’m hungry.”

Time stepped out of the way to let Legend go past and down the hallway without stopping him, only watching his back with a faint frown. Legend was out of sight by the time Hyrule moved over to Time, almost nervously. “What's wrong?”

“I… I think he went down stairs last night. I don’t remember the exact time, but I remember waking up when he moved around. I just don’t know how long he was gone, I dozed until he was back in the room, he said he went to the bathroom but…” Hyrule nibbled at his lower lip.

“That is one of the things we need to talk about, because Link said that he had visitors overnight. So, figuring out who all went down  _ and _ who gave him a black eye is what I want to find out. I have an inkling of who went down, but... Besides, there  _ is _ something else happening and I want to know what we can do to help him fix what he can.” 

“Do you think he can?” 

Time was quiet for a moment, long enough for Wind to open the door for himself and Four to step out and make their way down stairs after Legend. “I think he can, with some help.”

“Legend doesn’t want to help him.”

“I know, but if he wants to have a hand in remaking his history books he will.” Time murmured softly. “Let's head down before someone else comes up. I can only imagine how hungry you are.”

“You’re not?” Hyrule moved past him and started his way down as Time shut the door behind him. 

“No, I made some pancakes before I went down with Sky, I took some down so Link ate something too.”

“Wait, you made  _ pancakes!? _ ” was the incredulous response.

“I did yes, the ones that Wild keeps trying to weasel out of me.”

A groan was let free and Hyrule rubbed at his face with one palm. “I’m jealous. You and Malon make the best pancakes.”

They reached the bottom of the stairs when Time smiled seeing everyone settled in with food on plates or their own half empty. A bowl of fruit had found its way into the mix of breakfast items and Sky was slicing up an apple in his hands. Wind and Four were steadily eating, and Time felt some relief at knowing that their appetites were back. Especially when Wind reached out to spear another pancake onto his plate.

Once everyone was settled in and the frantic pace of eating had slowed as everyone started feeling full, Time looked over to where Imelda was sitting quietly, her own cup and pot of tea sitting in front of her cleaned plate. She looked deep in thought, her eyes closed and her head bowed slightly enough to be mistaken as having fallen asleep. He knew better, choosing to simply wait for her to speak as he chewed on an apple of his own, straight off the core.

After almost all of the plates were empty and the dishes were steadily being stacked into one neat pile for easy carrying, Imelda lifted her head up and met Time’s eye. “Are you willing to share what you learned?”

All movement paused from the others except Sky who yawned and rubbed at his eyes, the bags under them far more visible now, before propping his chin up on his hands. Sky nodded slightly before glancing down at the Sword in his lap again.

“What isn’t private at least.” Time tilted his head. “He’s as much of a prisoner as the Princess is. He’s also endured far too much for someone his age.”

There was a very strained silence at that revelation. Time caught a glimpse of Warriors averting his eyes from the rest of their group, and Twilight had dropped his own gaze down to the table in front of him. Legend was pointedly staring at the far wall, a muscle in his neck tense and Time had no doubt he was clenching his fists under the table . Wild and Hyrule shared a look between themselves, and Four shifted in his seat as his eyes flicked between Time and Sky. Wind was disgruntled and his nose was wrinkled.

“Where my path and his split turned  _ everything _ around for him.” He hadn’t wanted to tell the others like this, but they deserved to at least know how old he was when he  _ started _ , not the circumstances behind it. “The Temple of Time houses the Master Sword, my own is back in it’s pedestal in mine. He had never had the chance to draw it thanks to Ganondorf. Both of us were ten years old-”

_ “What?!” _

“You heard me. Something...  _ shifted _ in the path before he was able to open the door, and Ganondorf took him. He told Sky and I that he was held in the dungeons of the castle for three years, tortured nearly the whole time. There is plenty of evidence to back that up if you look.” 

Warriors finally looked at him and then down to the table in front of him. Time ignored him for a moment and continued on. “He didn’t go into complete detail, but he summarized his time there in the hands of Twinrova with them having every intention of breaking him down. They didn’t succeed in the way they wanted to, but he kept up the appearance of it. His life was  _ not _ kind to him, nor the people immediately impacted around him.”

Time paused and nodded his head slightly towards Imelda who was listening in silence. “One of which was Impa. She tried to help him escape, but both were captured before they could leave the grounds, weak and exhausted as they were. He was witness to what happened to her after receiving his own punishment.”

He hesitated on what to call Link, but until he knew for sure that Link was trying to do the right thing, he couldn’t be called anything else. “Link was given no other option than to remain in their hold, so he did. From what little else we know of, his reintroduction to his Zelda did not go over well, and we can assume he was sent off to train after being branded with a Seal to keep him under Ganondorfs’ control.”

The room was quiet for a few long moments before Sky spoke up next. One hand had migrated down to grasp the scabbard that the Master Sword was in. “He can’t break it himself. When Sheik was down there all three of us saw what it did to him. The characters on his skin darkened and the area around his eye started to redden and I have no doubt it would have mimicked a fever where it crossed onto his forehead.

“He was in pain even as he told us more than he probably should have. No I’m not going to repeat it either, that’s his story to tell, but he did tell us that the only way to get rid of it is to break one of the words around his eye.”

“It should be easy enough to do right? It’s a Seal, a Cursel. All spells like that can be broken with the right catalyst.” Everyone's attention turned to Hyrule who shifted a little awkwardly in place, it was clear that answers were wanted. Time knew only a few things about magic, he could still use the three spells he knew of, they exhausted him over time and repeated use, but that was normal for any spellcaster. 

Hyrule bit at his lip for a moment before he continued. “Seals have an anchor point. A word, an item, or even a place. Some Seals only require a letter or a rune to be scratched out, others have to be unraveled completely, but that depends on the spell itself and the caster. We  _ should _ be able to just cut across one of the words making it up and it should cease.”

“So we blind his left eye then? He’d deserve it.” Legend bit out.

“Don’t start Legend. We  _ don’t _ know everything that is happening here.” Time straightened up and pinned the other in place with his gaze, tone sharp. 

“I know exactly what is happening here, Time.” Legend hissed.

“No. No you don’t. Our being here has already changed things and you know it. Just by going through that portal alone, we turned the tide into Link’s favor.”

“Bullshit! The fact that he still failed impacted  _ my _ own Hyrule, Time!  _ In case you forgot, I came after him. _ He let himself be controlled by that pig bastard, ruined Hyrule to the point we are  _ still _ trying to recover, and Ganon is probably using him to learn everything he can about this village and us.” Legend was standing up now, having shoved himself up to his feet.

Hyrule reached out and snagged hold of Legend’s wrist, tugging on the appendage. “Legend, sit back down, please? I get the feeling there is a  _ lot _ more going on under our notice.”

“No, because this is going to turn around and bite all of us in the ass if we ju-” Legend stopped when Hyrule practically jumped out of his skin and whipped around to face the stairs leading down to the cells. Time had darted his own gaze over to Imelda and her head had turned as well, facing the stairs. 

Before any of them could do anything, in Sky’s lap, the Master Sword  _ flared _ brightly with a series of loud bell-like rings accompanying it. Before the second note even started Sky was on his feet and rushing towards the staircase, blade in hand. Time had started moving when Sky did, remembering what the younger man down below had said about the seal being used upon him. 

Time reached the bottom of the stairs at the same time that Link let a cry fall free and a fluttering golden green light shimmered into view around the young man. Link was twisting on the floor, feet kicking at the flagstones and slipping along them. His right hand gripping tightly to his left, pulling at it all the while choking down any noise he could in an effort to stay silent. 

The others flooded down into the room behind him and he barely caught a glimpse of the determined look on Sky’s face before the Master Sword was drawn and swung in a high downward arc. Sacred steel sheared cleanly through the weaker iron lock on the cell door, and Sky was through the door even as Link’s hands finally moved, slamming home against the side of his face.

Hyrule rushed in behind Sky, both of them dropping to their knees by his head reaching for his hands to pull them away from his face and Time was followed by Twilight and Warriors. The six of them in the cell made everything a little cramped with the close quarters, but Time shoved that thought aside as he and Twilight each grabbed a thrashing leg to keep him as still as they could manage. 

It was like he was holding one of the unruly cattle when he and his wife had to tend to a wound on it’s side. Link’s muscles were spasming and his grip nearly slipped several times as Sky and Hyrule tried to pry Link’s hands away. Golden-green light continued to flicker and twist around Link’s left side, actively driving off small spark-like pieces of tainted golden-red. Twilight wasn’t fairing much better, and Warriors had practically thrown himself across Link’s waist in an effort to keep him down. 

“What sort of magic is this!?” Twilight grit out as Link’s knee slipped his grip and grazed the underside of his chin when he jerked backwards. 

None of them got the chance to respond as Link’s voice finally broke free where Sky had finally pried his left hand free and was holding it tightly. “C-Can’t, G-Ganondorf is l-looking thro-” 

The scream that tore through the cell sent chills through to Time’s bones. He only remembered screaming like that whenever he’d used his masks as a kid. The forceful transformation eventually became second nature to him in intensity to the point he could move through it. Sky’s voice got his attention and the young man was looking at the rest of their companions as Hyrule pried the other hand away.

“Does anyone have a knife on them?! I can’t use the Master Sword, but we  _ need _ to break this Seal right  _ now _ . Hyrule, hold his head in place as firmly as you can.” Sky didn’t take his eyes off of the angry inflamed and red skin of Link’s cheek as their resident healer did as asked. 

Time didn’t have any on him, and judging by the look on Warriors’ face, the usually prepared captain didn’t either. Twilight hardly ever had a spare knife on him in a town unless he was hunting, and many of the others probably didn’t either. He looked up towards Link’s face, seeing the fiery red ring of flesh around the younger man’s tightly shut eye, it was marred and blemished by the bruise and vivid white and grey symbols that he vaguely recognized as Gerudo script now that he looked. 

“I have one!” Wild pushed past Four and Wind, reaching behind him towards his belt. He froze however when there was another flare of cloying magic. All of them did.

_ “The more he struggles and refuses to grant me sight the more he suffers.” _ It was unsettling to hear the voice of one of his nightmares come from his counterparts throat again. A moment of silence passed before anyone said anything and the one who  _ did _ caught Time off guard.

“Yea, well asshole, you’re going to end up suffering when I get my hands on you, you pig faced  _ fuck _ . So fuck back off into your desert.” Legend had followed Wild into the cell itself and was standing along the wall behind the other, glaring furiously down at the pinned teen.

_ “If that’s the way you wish to do this, then I will hunt each one of you down myself and see that your times all fail without your presence.”  _ Ganondorf’s voice snarled out. There was another effort given by the magic holding Link to throw them off as Sky’s hand closed around the offered knife handle.

Warriors had grabbed hold of Link’s wrist without being prompted when Sky let go of it in order to guide his hand across the only word on Link’s cheek that was done in grey-ish black ink. Sky’s hand moved quickly once it was lined up and it was as if a puppet had its strings cut when the blade slid seamlessly through skin and muscle, deep enough to sever any magical connection. 

Link sucked in a lung full of air and both of his eyes snapped open. There was no sign of the red in his iris, only a shift in color to an indigo tone. It was only after Hyrule ran his now glowing pink fingers across the others cheek, torn skin mending and the bruise and swelling fading, that Link’s eyes fluttered shut and he went completely limp, head lolling upon the stone floor. 

No one said anything for several moments, then Wind broke that silence, strained amusement in the youngests voice. “Legend… Did you just tell Ganondorf to fuck off?”

Time slowly pulled his arm away from Link’s leg and turned his head to look over at them, lifting a brow even as a faint smile tugged at his lips. “Language, Wind.”

Legend huffed, red splotching across his cheeks as he crossed his arms. “So what? I didn’t lie. If I  _ do _ get my hands on him, I'm going to make him suffer.”

Everyone but Sky and Hyrule snorted softly and Time looked back to the pair who were carefully poking and prodding at Link’s cheek. Sky’s shoulders were no longer tense and the Sword had stopped glowing brightly at his side now. “How is he?”

Hyrule looked up briefly then back down to Link’s face before he said anything. “He’s going to be fine. There isn’t any magic left in the Seal. As soon as Sky cut through it, the whole spell shattered.”

“Even though you healed the cut?” Wild wedged himself in between Warriors and Hyrule, being mindful of the limited space.

“Yes. If the anchor is damaged in any way it shatters instantly unless there is a secondary anchor point, a back up. There wasn’t one for this though, it’s completely gone, even with the word being healed along with his skin.” 

“Why wouldn’t there have been a secondary anchor?” 

“Too much ambient magic in a Seal this small and delicate would have overloaded, quite possibly even killed or blinded him.” Time watched Hyrule glance up towards Legend for a moment, who pointedly looked away. 

“So… He’s free from Ganondorf’s hold?”

“Yes.”

Time could feel the relief in the air, but there was still an underlying tension around them all. He knew that some of the others wouldn’t really be accepting of Link until he proved himself, he himself would be wary as well for some time. But if the immediate threat was gone, it would be easier to allow Link to remain nearby. 

Soft footsteps accompanied by the tapping of a cane on the stone drew his attention and everyone looked to the door of the cell, Four and Wind both pulling back slightly to allow Imelda entry. The expression on her face was nearly unreadable, but there  _ was _ a sense of understanding in her eyes as she watched Link’s unconscious face. After a moment, she looked up and met his gaze.

“Are you willing to act as his guard and jailor if necessary, Hero of Time?”

Time didn’t hesitate when eight more pairs of eyes fixed on him. “Yes.”

Imelda inclined her head and smiled, her face creasing along the wrinkles upon her skin. “Then you may take charge of him. He will be rooming with you and your companions, but he may not roam my village freely. For his safety and that of the people under my care. I trust you do not need to be reminded why?”

“I understand. One of us will stay with him at all times.”

“Wait,” Warriors interjected from where he was still kneeling, his attention having turned back to Imelda. “You’re willing to let him out of the cell? Just because Time agreed to be his minder?”

“I did. I trust you all to be able to handle him. There are nine more of you, one of which knows who he was before. I am willing to make the exception to allow him the freedom to move. I am not willing to be inhumane to someone who was just as much a prisoner in his own body as he was in a cell. All I ask is that you interfere with any actions taken against him until we completely uncover the truth and recover the Princess,” she stated.

“We can manage that Warriors. He might not even really know what to do for a while anyway.” 

Warriors looked conflicted for a few seconds before he closed his eyes and sighed, murmuring softly. “Just like a prisoner of war regaining his freedom during recovery.”

“Exactly.” He confirmed for the other man.

“Fine, but if he really  _ is _ a traitor, I’m taking matters into my own hands, old man.” the other warned.

“Anyone else have any objections?” Legend opened his mouth and Time fixed him in place with a firm stare. “Besides Legend? I know you don’t like this, but if you  _ want _ to fix what happened in your time period, he has to stay alive to do it.”

Legend visibly bristled at being denied, grit his teeth, and blew roughly out his nose before turning and stalking out of the cell to go back upstairs. Time knew he would have to go find the other and  _ talk _ with him, but it had to wait until they at least had Link in a better bed and cleaner clothes. 

“I shall speak with him. Perhaps my insight may push through his fury.” Imelda’s voice carried through the cell as she turned and began to leave the room. “Take Link up to whichever room you wish for him to be and I shall send for Lani to bring a change of clothing and a fresh futon. I shall see you at the lunch hour.” 

The clicking of her cane up the steps faded before any of them moved. Twilight murmured softly, his focus on LInk’s sleeping face. “We should get moving. He’s probably going to sleep for a long while anyway.”

“Yea, I’ve got him. You boys go ahead and go upstairs. I’ll stick with him for now.” Time shifted and with a little more effort than he expected to use, lifted Link up into his arms. The others all moved out of his way as he carried the unconscious male out of the cell and up the stairs. But just before he was out of earshot, he heard Four’s voice quietly ask a question.

“Was that light surrounding him, his piece of the Triforce?”


	13. Cornerstone (Four)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys are being argumentative little fucks and Four gets annoyed.

Four looked between the others remaining in the cell after Time had carried Link upstairs and out of sight. He’d never used nor heard of the Triforce until this journey when it was mentioned off handedly over dinner one night when Wind had asked if anyone had ever made a wish on the completed object. Wild and he had never heard of it, but a quick sketch on paper had shown both of them that it was simply part of the Royal Insignia.

He had dealt only with the Lightforce and even then, it was only through his own Zelda, and she only used it whenever it was absolutely necessary. ’ _ Too much power brings on the responsibility for the actions made. It’s not something to use constantly or it loses its value. I forget I even have it most days, Link.’ _

His Zelda, Dot among the people, would be eagerly waiting to learn about the Triforce he had no doubt when he brought it up to her. The parts of him were interested as well, at least  _ most _ of them were, judging by the curiosity washing over him. One part was annoyed still, but he could see the reasoning behind  _ why _ and it wasn’t too bad. 

Seeing that only looks were being shared between Twilight and Warriors without a verbal answer coming, Four frowned. There was a small bubble of annoyance building up at the back of his mind as neither of them looked at the rest of their group. “Was I right?”

By the time he asked that, Sky was already reaching for the Master Sword where he had, in his haste to get to Link’s side, dropped her on the ground. Four had winced but hadn’t rushed towards the blade, knowing that Sky was protective of her and to grab her without letting him know was just asking to be scolded. He was also wary about what she could potentially do to him thanks to his use of the Four Sword, but that wasn’t what he needed to focus on.

“Let’s go back up stairs. This might be a long talk and I would rather be sitting,” offered Warriors as he stood up and held out a hand to Twi to help him up, doing the same for Wild once the other was on his feet.

Wind had already made a beeline straight for the stairs as soon as it was offered, taking the stairs two at a time, and Four followed after Hyrule had gotten up and moved to pass him after an offered hand from Sky. The others all trailed out and up behind them and within a few moments everyone was settled around the table once more.

Well, Wild wasn’t quite settled. The dishes on the table had been cleared at some point while they were downstairs. He was having a whispered argument with Twilight about going to get his dishes since he was the one who dirtied them. It took a few long amusing minutes before Wild finally made an annoyed noise and practically threw himself onto the cushion that he’d sat at earlier.

The silence that was in the room for a few long  _ painful _ seconds could have been cut with a dull knife as Four looked between Twilight and Warriors. Thankfully he didn't have long to wait before Wind’s impatience got the better of him. 

“That  _ was _ his piece of the Triforce, wasn’t it?” 

Warriors hesitated for a moment, his eyes darting around to look at all of them in the room. Four knew well enough by now that the older man was counting them all, trying to make sure they were safe. But with Legend having gone somewhere else, and Time watching over Link upstairs, the man would be nervous. “It was yea. It doesn’t do so often, but I know when I-  _ literally _ started- mine flared up to protect me and General Impa from the brunt of a blast of dragonfire. The scarring on my left forearm is the only affected area.”

On the other side of Wild, Twilight leaned forward to prop his left elbow on the table. “Mine did the same. I made a rather….”

Twilight grimaced faintly before lifting up his right arm and gripping tightly to his left bicep for a moment before he continued. “A rather stupid mistake. I’m only lucky because of  _ where _ I made that mistake. My piece and the presence of the Guardian Spirit of the region I live in, are the only reasons that I am even alive. The Triforce has a mind of its own, and it’s not to be used like a toy either.” 

All of them were quiet for a less tense stretch of time and Hyrule drew Four’s attention when the brunet took a breath and started talking. “I had to reassemble Wisdom in my first journey after Dawn shattered it to keep it from being used by Ganon and I had to take Power from him too. I didn’t find Courage until I had to wake Aurora up from her spelled sleep.”

“Wait, you didn’t have Courage with you at all during your journey?”

Hyrule shook his head at Twilight’s question and Four looked between them again as Hyrule started nibbling at his lower lip, clearly lost in thought or trying to figure out how to explain. “When our time started to deteriorate, about eight or so decades before I was born, the Royal Family separated the Triforce so that it couldn’t be used. Wisdom remained within Hyrule Castle, Courage went to a location called the Great Palace, and Ganon found Power somewhere that was never mentioned in any history texts that Dawn read to me. 

“Once I had Courage and woke up Aurora on my second journey, it only reacted a few times to keep me safe. Mostly whenever one of Ganon’s creatures nearly got the better of me.” Hyrule rubbed absently at the old scar on his side Four remembered seeing when they were sharing stories over the fire about their collective scars.

Four could tell there was more to it, curiosity lifted its head again followed by a longing to know before it was tempered by a feeling of  _ not our business _ . They all had secrets, Hyrule wouldn’t like anyone prying into his. Just as he didn’t want the others to poke their noses into his business.

“I didn’t really even know about the Triforce until near the end of my own journey. I had to find it in order to seal away the entity that I fought. I only held the whole Triforce once, for at most a few hours. Then I completed what I needed to when I made my wish. It was supposed to remain sealed in the Sacred Realm for the rest of time.” Sky looked up to the others. “It’s not meant to be used without thought though, there was an immense power within it that I know I couldn’t handle for any length of time.”

Four didn’t miss the awkward shifting that Hyrule made when Sky finished speaking, but he didn’t get a chance to say anything at all because Wind spoke up next, interrupting his train of thought.

“I had to reassemble Courage instead of Wisdom. Tetra had Wisdom with her the whole time and she didn’t know that until Ganondorf tried to take it. I didn’t really feel any different when it was with me, but… It did protect me once when he tried to run me through.” There was a collective grimace around the table, no doubt from the reminder of how  _ young _ Wind actually was when he beat Ganondorf. But no one pressed any further.

He clearly wasn’t done though. “Also, there were a lot of people who thought I wouldn’t be able to do it. I found the pieces out of spite mostly, but also because I knew Ganondorf wouldn’t have stopped until he succeeded and destroyed the Great Sea.”

“It’s a recurring theme for him it seems. I only had to deal with him once, and I  _ think _ he was acting through Vaati the first time I put the mage away. But I don’t know for sure or not and I can’t exactly ask Vaati about it either. I did fight him directly the second time though, after a... friend sacrificed himself to aid us.” Four frowned faintly at the memory before he sighed and shoved the longing and hurt aside to deal with later. “We didn’t have the Triforce. We had something similar,  _ maybe _ , called the Lightforce, I don’t know a whole lot about it as it’s a Royal Family only thing, but Dot, my Zelda, could do a lot of really amazing things with it whenever she’s used it.”

“Lightforce?”

“Yea. Dot didn’t know she had it until Vaati tried to take it from her. I think she’s only used it… seven times in total? Three of them were in self defense and the other four times were to reduce the impact of a major or natural disaster. She doesn’t use it often because it’s tiring and it’s not supposed to be used as a shortcut. Also she said it’s not like a party favor to be tossed around for everyone to see or have a taste of.”

“Wise words and choices.” Warriors murmured. “Mine sees Wisdom much the same way. A tool to only be used when necessary, as do I. Lesson was learned pretty quickly in fact. No, I’m not going to talk about what I did to learn it.”

Wind’s mouth snapped shut and he crossed his arms with a disgruntled look on his face as he glowered at Warriors when the elder’s tone turned sharp. “I was just going to ask if you were okay, but fuck I take it back.”

“Hey now. Please don’t start an argument.” Twilight jumped in before Warriors opened his mouth to respond with placating words. “We’re just talking about the Triforce. No one needs to get upset if someone doesn’t talk about what we did or didn’t do with it beyond mentioning retrieving or using it. Alright?”

Four looked between the others, watching Wind’s face slowly smooth out as he looked away and sighed. Warriors’s shoulders dropped from the tension he had; he just waved a hand slightly, a sigh of his own falling from his lips. “It’s fine. Like you Twilight, I just did something monumentally stupid and I was  _ very _ lucky.”

“Wait, I thought you said that the Triforce wasn’t supposed to be held by just one person for any length of time?” Wild was sitting ramrod straight, one hand on the edge of the table with his knuckles turning white.

“No… No one should have it for too long.” Sky had turned his attention immediately to Wild, as had the rest of the room Four saw.

There was clearly an internal war that Wild had with himself for a moment as he bit lightly at his lower lip while his free hand lifted up and tugged roughly on some of his loose hair. Relaxing his grip on the table after a few seconds, he looked up and met Sky’s gaze. “My Zelda had the whole thing. At least I think she did. I don’t remember ever having any piece of it myself, but… I remember seeing  _ something _ like the Triforce when she saved me. Then one more time when I saved  _ her _ . I don’t think she has it now though, she hasn’t said anything saying otherwise.

“It is still present on a lot of what relics we can recover from the ruins and it’s part of the insignia of the Royal Family, and above what remains of the Sanctum’s throne but… It’s never mentioned or even referred to in any of the records we  _ do _ have.” 

Everyone mulled that over, questions still remaining unanswered and even more to yet be asked. Four felt a bubble of frustration swelling faintly in his gut, but he pushed it aside as he had no actual  _ reason _ to be upset with what was going on. He did however sigh and rub at his face when the curiosity he had before returned with an urge to get some sort of an answer. “That still doesn’t answer my question from before. Why didn’t his piece of the Triforce protect him when this started?”

“It didn’t feel safe enough to do so I think.” Hyrule murmured even as he rubbed at the back of his left hand before he moved that hand to nibble at his nails. “I mean, it’s a conscious entity in ways right?”

Four watched everyone nod slowly then turned his attention back to Hyrule.

“With how aware it actually is, I can only imagine how it felt or what it sensed when… When Link wasn’t able to even do what he should have. What is the difference between Time and Link? I don’t know beyond what Time told us before we broke that seal, but I’m going to guess that the Triforce sensed something that he couldn’t and it reacted accordingly by protecting itself and hiding itself away within him until it felt that it was possible to fight back.”

“Why  _ now _ though?” the urging of  _ we need answers _ was persistent enough to have him say that on top of his curiosity

“Because we arrived. We arrived and threw off whatever plans Ganondorf had for Link and his Zelda. We tend to be in the middle of a conflict, whether intentional or not, a catalyst.”

Acceptance flickered in his chest and Four thought for a moment as he mulled it over himself. “It makes sense actually. Changes  _ do _ seem to happen around any one of us. Could we really have that big of a potential impact here even though this isn’t our own time period?”

“I think I have an answer, or at least part of one.” Sky looked far calmer than he had before, his hold on the Master Sword was loose now, the blade laying in his lap with only a hand on the scabbard. “She either doesn’t know everything or she’s not able to tell of it, but all of us were brought here to help. We can’t interfere with the actual encounter that Link will eventually have with Ganondorf, but we can help him  _ get _ to that point and keep anything else from interfering with them.” 

There was a pause and Four watched Warriors tense in his seat and his jaw flex for a moment before he took a slow breath. “Even if we do help him, we don’t have a guarantee of success. For all we know our interference could make the outcome worse.”

“It won’t. Fi says that inaction would make the outcome worse. How Legend and Hyrule’s times come out are the end result of the  _ success _ . If we don’t interfere… It ends here. Completely.” By the time Sky finished his voice was soft, melancholy almost with a tone of finality as he looked at Hyrule then over to the door that Legend had likely left from. “Neither of them would exist, and this timeline would truly be doomed.”

“So… We have to side with the guy who set Redeads on us?” Was Wind’s incredulous response.

“I think we need to. If we want to make sure that time flows in a way that doesn’t destroy Hyrule at its seams at least.” 

“I don’t like this at all,” Warriors’ voice was stiff and quiet. “Can we even trust him to not simply be pulling the wool over our eyes? He’s been working for Ganondorf this whole time, so who’s to say this isn’t what Ganondorf would want for us to believe?” 

Four saw that his eyes were fixed on a spot in the middle of the table now, no doubt with his mind racing and trying to analyze any possible situations he could come up with regarding tactics and potential threats. The soft bell like chimes of the Master Sword drew everyone’s attention again. Sky’s hands had lifted her up and pulled her slightly from the sheathe to listen rather than putting his forehead to the hilt. The tone of the chimes was soft, but Four could have sworn she was scolding them for some reason. 

“He’s not lying. I don’t know if any of you noticed, but as soon as I cut across that mark on his face, Fi stopped glowing. When he wakes up I’m going to let him hold her, anything that remains attached to him should break.”

“What!? Sky you can’t-” Alarm was on Warrior’s face when his head snapped up, eyes fixing on the quieter teen.

“Can’t what Warriors?” The look on Sky’s face stopped the older man short. “Technically she’s  _ my _ blade, she’s  _ my _ companion. I trust her entirely with my life, soul, and Sun. Fi wants him to hold her and so I will listen to her and let him. Almost everyone of you has held her in one way or another and I’m not going to deny him that right, because of misplaced paranoia.”

“But he was the one who carried her to Castletown, doesn’t that count?” Twilight murmured, clearly trying to stop another argument.

Sky shook his head and he looked down at the blade again. “No, he only held her scabbard. Had he grabbed her by the hilt, it might have destroyed the enchantment on him, but he didn’t so we won’t know if it was possible. Her power isn’t directly contained in any set part of the scabbard unless she builds it up and releases it there, or if he himself was having any true ill intent towards us.”

“There is still a  _ chance _ though Sky. That’s the problem, what if this  _ doesn’t _ break any other enchantments and instead something attaches to her from him?” 

“Enchantments aren’t so simple, especially when it comes to sentient or semi-sentient swords.” Four leaned forward, catching Warriors’ eyes after the elder tried to derail them  _ again _ . He didn’t like what Sky planned to do anymore than most of the others did, judging by the various looks, but he knew enough from how his own blade was forged that he would back up his predecessor. “It would take an  _ immense _ force to overwhelm any sort of being or entity within a blade like the Master Sword. She’s sentient so she’s not going to just  _ let _ any sort of magic be attached to her, even if she is for all intents and purposes sleeping. Plus, Sky even said that he’d tempered her in Sacred Fire. That alone would reduce the chance for any mortal magic to have a hope for attaching to the blade. 

“Mine on the other hand  _ could _ be corrupted or damaged if something stronger than the four natural elements were to attach to it. Simply put, normal mortal magic wouldn’t be enough, something far stronger would have to be involved like a single piece of the Triforce, Lightforce or a minor deities touch, but it  _ is _ theoretically possible.” It wasn’t often he talked about his own blade and he knew the others were curious about what his own did. They all knew it was magical of course, you could tell just by looking at it, but he wasn’t telling anything more about it’s abilities. “There would have to be some sort of literal divine intervention to corrupt the Master Sword, and I highly doubt that there would even remotely be the chance for that to happen in the first place.”

Sky nodded and gave Four a tired smile before he started talking again. “Exactly. Anything that Ganondorf may have attached to him still through some sort of lingering spellwork won’t just shift to her. I’m not worried about her. If he’s truly not worthy of touching her anyway, she’ll burn him regardless if it helps ease your fears Warriors, Twilight.”

“Fine, I’ll trust your decision on this, but it doesn’t mean I like it.” Warriors said as he crossed his arms and sighed. 

“I expect nothing more. When I let him,  _ none _ of you are going to be there.”

Instantly the other five started protesting.

“Sky that-”  _ Wild. _

“What if he uses that as a-”  _ Hyrule. _

“All kinds of bad ideas-”  _ Twilight. _

“-gonna fucking * _ stab _ * you with-”  _ Wind. _

“-you * _ thinking _ * Sky!?”  _ Warriors. _

All of them were trying to talk over one another and Four leaned forward to put his head against the cool surface of the table for a moment, trying to alleviate some of the building headache threatening to pound it’s way through his skull. Annoyance built rapidly as Wind slapped onto the surface of the table next to his head and suddenly fed up with the childishness the others were exhibiting. He pushed himself up to his feet so that they focused on  _ him _ . “ _ Enough. _ All of you need to just be quiet and let Sky  _ talk _ to him because it’s obvious that none of the rest of us are willing to give Link the chance he needs to be given.

“Now I’m not saying that I like it much either, but it’s clear that he knows  _ something _ we don’t. Plus I doubt that Sky would let him try to do anything that would remotely put him in danger.” he finished with an exasperated noise. “Honestly… You all are acting like Sky’s going to get hurt just by letting him hold a sword.”

He seemed to be the only one thinking rationally beyond Sky and that was  _ ridiculous _ . Sky was truly the best swordsman out of their group, even with his lack of stamina, he made up for it in skill and the fact he  _ didn’t _ overspend his energy when fighting unlike a few of the others. The knight knew exactly how much effort to put into a swing before he even made it and he knew better than to go for the immediately obvious weak points against an enemy. 

Wind at least had the decency to look sheepish and Hyrule was chewing on his fingernails again. But Warriors and Twilight both still looked skeptical until Wild spoke up. “Can someone at least be nearby just in case? We do have the right to at least be cautious, even if he’s not a threat, it’s better to be safe than sorry. I don’t have an issue with him, but I also don’t want to run the risk of someone in our group getting hurt from a lack of caution.”

“Wild, you are the one we have to bail out of trouble all the time.  _ You don’t have a cautious bone in your body most times!” _

“That's because it’s  _ myself _ and I know that I can find a way out of it Twi.” Wild rolled his eyes.

“Pot meet kettle,” was softly murmured from Four’s side where Wind had his head ducked slightly.

The effort it took to not laugh hurt his chest as the hilarity and amusement that bloomed in his chest and throat threatened to overwhelm him. His lips twitched and he took in a slow breath through his nose, knowing full well that if he opened his mouth he would laugh. Wild had clearly heard Wind and the offense in his face spelled trouble, trouble worth doing though.

“I’m putting goron spice in your portion just for that Wind.”

“Hey! That's not fair, I’m just telling the truth. Coming from  _ you _ about someone being nearby when Sky does this is a bit hypocritical.” 

“So?”

“Wind’s right, Wild. It is a bit hypocritical of you to say that because of how often you throw yourself into danger or situations that we normally wouldn’t go headfirst into. Hyrule don’t even, we know you would do the same as him.” 

Four looked between Twilight and Hyrule when the latter opened his mouth to say something, probably in Wild’s defense. The disgruntled look on two faces now actually drew a soft snort from him against his will. Out of the corner of his eyes he watched Sky turn his head away and bring one hand up to cover his mouth in a near inaudible yawn. 

“We are a bit off track now though. Sky wants to talk with him, that’s fine, one of us can be nearby. Time would probably be willing to be nearby if no one else will?”

“I don’t mind, I think there are some similarities between us, so if Time won’t or is too tired to join you, I'll be there Sky.” Wild’s face smoothed out and a determined glint flickered in his eyes. “Plus no one really expects the things my Slate can do.”

Silence followed for a few moments. 

“Fine. Someone will tell Time and Legend whenever one of us sees them. Sky did you even sleep last night?” 

“No, I couldn’t Warriors. The only reason I’m awake still is because I also wanted to know who went down to see him last night. He said three of you were down there at one point or another.” His eyes were half-lidded as he looked between the rest of them, his stare lingering longer on Twilight who pointedly stared back in return for a couple of seconds. “I’m not mad, neither is Time, but one of you three punched him in the face.” 

Four watched as Warriors dropped his own eyes to the table, a frown on his face before he sighed and looked up. “I went down, but I’m not the one who hit him. That was before me, he had the black eye when I saw him.”

Sky kept his eyes on Warriors, his gaze was flinty but not quite harsh. There was a beat of silence before Sky sighed and nodded, rubbing a palm over his face. “I figured it wasn't you, Time and I are pretty sure we know who it is.” 

No one said anything until Wind laid his arms on the table and huffed. “I don’t know if I want to punch him in the face or not now… Yea he set the Redeads on us, but what we all saw downstairs is having me think-”

“You thinking?”

“Har, har. Yes thinking, Wars. I do it too, asshole.” Wind’s tone was sharp, but there wasn’t any actual heat to his words, the others all chuckled and Four shook his head with a small smile on his lips. “Anyway before the peanut gallery pipes in again. If what Sky is saying is true and this is why we were brought here, to help fix what’s happened, does that mean we’re writing Legend and Hyrule’s history? The both of you are the ones who are directly affected by Link’s choices and actions.”

“Could be, but I’m not the one to ask because I don’t really have access to the few records we have left of the past. Aurora and Dawn do, and they would probably tell me one way or another if I asked, but…” Hyrule shrugged lightly. “We have a lot of blank sections in my timeline’s history. The only reason that we know about Legend is because of how widespread his achievements were. Neighboring countries that have intact records shared some with us after I woke Aurora.”

“Hmm… We’ll have to ask Legend when he comes back.” Warriors murmured as he rubbed at his face with a sigh. 

“If he’s willing to even talk. He was  _ pissed _ .”

“He was yes, but hopefully we can get him to listen. He doesn’t need to  _ like _ Link, just tolerate him at least. All of us need to.” 

“Be that as it may, if we can change history around for the better, Legend might realize that he had a hand in guiding his own time. Namelessly of course, but still. The point is, if the Master Sword wants us to help him, we should help him.” he stated as he looked between the others. Four knew full well that doing this could be bad, but he was also more than willing to listen to the spirit in the blade.

“Either way, Ganondorf needs to be stopped.” murmurs of agreement rolled from everyone’s mouths at Twilight’s assertion.

“Only one real problem though. What if we switch worlds again? That could end badly for everyone here if we just suddenly vanish.” Hyrule put out.

“But we might not. For all we know we could have been brought here to stay until it’s over. Yet you do have a point. It’s one of the things we will have to deal with when or if we get there I think.” Being the voice of reason as often as he was today was draining. Four felt about as tired as Sky looked, and he was thinking about following the other hero up to their shared room and napping.

Sky shook his head and yawned again, scrubbing at his face with one hand. “I doubt we’ll leave any time soon. There is way too much to go over and bring to light. Plus there may be enemies scattered here with the black blood.”

“Maybe. Go get some sleep Sky. You look like you need it.” 

“I think I will, Twilight. Please don’t get into trouble. Time’s not down here to deal with you and I don’t exactly trust all of you to not do something stupid.” The halfhearted glare that he sent around the table was reacted to with a few of them rolling their eyes and sighs.

“I’ll keep them under control,” a small smile tugged at Twilight’s lips.

“You won’t have to worry about me. I’m still tired myself so I’m going up with you Sky,” this was punctuated by a yawn of his own as he stretched his arms overhead. 

“Alright. We’ll keep everyone out of trouble-”

” _ Hey!” _

“-and make sure to stick around until Time comes out or something.”

“Alright. I’ll see you all later on then, please try to wake me up in time for dinner. I know I’ll sleep straight through lunch.” Sky stood up, sword in one hand and his sailcloth held in the other.

Four followed suit, catching up to the elder as they started up the stairs. Neither of them said anything as they went back into their shared room and to their respective futons. He paused long enough to shed his over-tunic and socks before he crawled under his blanket, pushing his face into the pillow under his head as he slowly relaxed. Blinking one eye open he lazily watched Sky for a second or two get himself situated and then both fell still, both eyes closed now. 

He was nearly dozing when Sky broke the silence. “Thank you for listening to me, Four.”

“Of course, I know a bit about swords so I didn’t mind. Plus… I believe you. Link is going to be the one remembered, but we will help shape the future.” he sleepily murmured in return. “Now sleep, you need it more than I do.”

“Mmm… G‘night Four.”

“Night Sky.”


	14. Tranquil (Link-Fallen)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waking, a hug, and plans for the future.
> 
> TW: Memory involving injuries, threats, burns, and alluded abuse to a child.

When Link woke up it was slow and he felt as if the whole world was lifted off of his shoulders. He felt far lighter than he had in  _ years _ and it was hard to place exactly why that was because of how muddled his mind felt. The bed he was on was soft, comfortable and warm too, a far cry from the bed he usually slept in. 

He didn’t really know what brought him out of the sleep he was waking from, but it wasn’t something to fear or be worried about. In fact it was quite soothing. Soft notes from an instrument, likely a harp, lyre, or a lute were being plucked and the sound of someone's voice humming helped bring more of the world into focus. 

Neither of his eyes wanted to open at all. The gummy feeling of excess sleep sealing them shut, but not in an uncomfortable way. Floating as he was in this sensation was pleasant and welcome.

On the pillow under his head he shifted, turning his right ear towards the source of the soothing music, it was closer to the source. There was something familiar about the song being plucked from the strings and it was niggling at the back of his mind while he tried to place it through his sluggish memory. It wasn’t the familiarity of the slow song that had him snapping upright when his mind started connecting the dots of what he had last remembered happening.

No, it was the realization that he was in a  _ bed _ that did it.

Once upright he swayed and groaned, his right hand pushing out over the soft blanket to catch his balance from the blood rushing from his head, which was being cradled by his left. The song abruptly cut short and there was a shuffle of fabric before a hand was placed on his shoulder. Link shook his head a bit from where he had lowered it to put his chin to his chest.

“Take it easy, there’s no rush to be upright just yet Link.” 

He recognized that voice and he lifted his head up, peeling his eyelids open and squeezing them shut a few times after he blinked, trying to bring the world around him into focus. Light burned at his eyes and it took several long seconds to get his eyes to cooperate and adjust to the brightly lit room. 

Sky blue eyes met his own, worry visible in the hero’s eyes and on his face as he squeezed the shoulder under his hand. “How are you feeling?”

Link opened his mouth to say he was fine, which he was, but there was more to it than just  _ fine _ . He felt better than he had in a very long time and he was at a loss for words.

“I... “ a grimace was on his face as he realized what he sounded like and he closed his mouth to swallow thickly. His voice was rough and thick, likely from not drinking anything for who knows how long. Licking his lips he tried again. “I feel  _ lighter. _ Better than I have in years I think.”

A smile and a nod was given to him before the hand on his shoulder pulled back to reach for something just off to the side. “You sound like you’re a bit thirsty too, here.”

“A bit yea…” Link murmured as he followed the others' movement, seeing that he was reaching for a ewer and a cup that was upside down on a tray. 

He took the offered cup when it was filled and he didn’t care if anything had been slipped in it. Once he saw the water itself, his throat went drier than it was and he started drinking it rapidly. It was blissfully refreshing, completely clean and tasteless like water should be, and before he realized it, he had drunk the whole thing. Pulling the empty cup away from his mouth he reached up with his free hand and wiped at the remains on his lips as he took in a deep breath.

Looking up, he paused seeing… He wracked his brain for a moment trying to remember which one he was and then it came to him. His counterpart had called him Sky down in the cells when they were talking to him. Sky was turned away slightly, reaching behind himself for something. Link didn’t see what Sky had grabbed as he turned his attention to the rest of the room, looking around, wondering  _ why _ he had been removed from the cell below. 

Three other beds were made to his right, each with a pack at the head of the bed and nothing looked to be strewn out like he’d seen in the barracks whenever he had slept in there before he was given his own private room at the bottom of Zelda’s tower. Not seeing anyone else in the room though, he looked back to Sky and blinked, seeing the Master Sword in his lap. 

His eyes were locked onto the blade and for several long seconds, Link just let his eyes slide across the scabbard and hilt of the weapon. Something deep within him longed to hold the blade but he refrained from asking, instead he finally looked up to meet the others eyes. “What happened after all of you came down to my cell?”

“What do you remember?” 

Link blinked and let his mind wander back through what he last remembered, his brow furrowing for a moment before he started an answer. “I remember having a nightmare, waking up from it to Ganondorf activating the seal on my eye and him trying to gain control to see where I was. I refused to let him take it and… He said he wants Zelda to find a husband but she was defiant and refused to again.”

A frown creased his face as he closed his eyes, trying to remember more of what happened because of how quickly it all moved. “He threatened to hand her over to Twinrova if she kept defying him… Then I sort of remember all of you coming down and just the blistering pain he pushed through the seal.”

He was missing  _ something _ in the middle of that, but he couldn’t remember  _ what _ it was. “One of you tried to pry my hands away from my face and I do faintly recall struggling to keep my eye covered before he took over my voice. The exact words he said are fuzzy but… I think there was a weightless moment before I woke up here.”

Sky stayed quiet the whole time he spoke, posture relaxed, and it only relaxed further when he finished speaking. “That’s good then you remembered most of what happened and it means you were right about how it was to be broken.”

That took a moment for Link to make sense of. He stared blankly at Sky before his eyes widened and his left hand shot up to slide tentative fingers across his cheek where he knew the anchor to have been. Even further was the realization that he was  _ able _ to speak about what happened without any flare of warning. “It… It’s  _ gone _ ?”

“The power that was in it is. The ink itself is not, none of us know a way to pull the inking from your skin, but Hyrule agrees that there is no way for Ganondorf to re-anchor the spell he used without doing it over completely,” was stated matter-of-factly. “He’s the one who healed the cut I made, we’ll do proper introductions later when everyone’s had time to settle in.” 

The seed of hope that had been planted prior to this felt as if it were growing and he dropped his hand to his lap and dug all of his fingers into the fabric of the blanket. A shaky laugh spilled from his lips and he took in a slow stuttering breath. “I’m free… You freed me. Even though I...”

“You were a prisoner long enough.” Sky’s voice softened and Link looked back up to him. “After what little Fi told me of what she knows of your situation, I’m on your side. Completely. Time is as well.”

Link wasn’t expecting that and his breath hitched slightly in his throat before he swallowed and murmured softly. “What about the others of your group?”

That had a small grimace cross the others face, a sigh followed it. “I can’t speak for all of them, but Hyrule and Wild are both on the fence and want to talk to you. Four trusts  _ my _ decision. Wind wants to make his own judgment. Warriors and Twilight are hung up on something they aren’t opening up about...”

“And the one who comes immediately after me? I’m assuming he’s the one you didn’t mention.”

“Legend is…” he hesitated for a beat and sighed again, heavier this time. “Legend is the only one who wants nothing to do with you. He’s been out of the building since we moved you up here, so no one knows what he’s thinking about right now. Elder Imelda spoke with him, but he’s not appeared after she returned yet.”

“Oh.” He looked off to the side again, gathering his thoughts before something pushed forward. “How long was I out?”

A small smile was on Sky’s face at the question. “A little under a full day. You needed the rest though.”

“I’m shocked I slept that long though, I hardly ever slept more than six hours a night.” Link murmured softly, looking back up to Sky. He didn’t miss the small frown that crossed Sky’s face, nor the sigh.

“I can imagine not.” 

The room was quiet for a few moments, Link unsure of what he could say or even do with his newfound freedom before Sky broke it, catching him completely off guard with his question. “Would you like to see what your left eye looks like now? It’s darker than your right one is by a few shades.”

“Really?” His left hand lifted to touch the skin beneath his eye again and he nodded. “I would like to see it. It’s… It’s been almost six years since it’s been  _ my _ eye…”

“I thought you would, so I’m going to offer you something other than a mirror. The others all protested, but it’s your right as much as ours.” Sky lifted the sword in his lap up and held it out for Link to take.

Link froze and he felt his mouth go dry at what was being offered. He didn’t know what could possibly happen were he to draw her from the sheathe, let alone even  _ touch _ the hilt. Sky had said the last time they spoke that she was still waiting for him in the Temple of Time here for him to draw her. Yet, he feared that he wouldn’t be worthy to even grasp her. Sky was patient though. He was simply holding her out in front of him, waiting while Link struggled internally to take the blade. 

A sense of longing started to bubble up in his chest and into his throat as he slowly lifted both hands to hover both of them over the blade. As his hands drew closer to the sword in Sky’s hands, a soft glow started to shimmer from where the hilt met the scabbard. He swallowed thickly around the swirl of anticipation and hope as his hands stopped again, a mere inch away from the weapon.

Link could feel his heart thundering in his chest now. Thudding in his ears with each heartbeat slowly starting to be drowned out by a pleasant sounding humming noise. Swallowing one final time and closing his eyes tightly, he let his hands connect with the hilt and scabbard. He braced himself a split second before for any kind of backlash as his trembling fingers closed around the weapon. 

When none came he opened his eyes slowly and saw that Sky’s hands were no longer supporting it from below. There was a soothing and buzzing tingle flooding him from where he held firmly to it and he let out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding in with a shaky laugh.

It felt like he was holding air, there was weight to the blade, he knew there was logically. But it was nonexistent in his grasp. Pulling the blade closer to himself, he adjusted his grip to draw it part way. 

The blade itself was shimmering faintly with a soft blue glow and the humming grew louder, a sense of happiness and relief started to flow into him, not entirely his. He didn’t need to be told otherwise. He knew it was the being that Sky had said was within the blade.

Link didn’t know how long he stared at the details on the sword before his eyes focused on his reflection as the glow died down with the buzzing under his skin. Sky had been right. 

The purity of the sacred steel she was forged from reflected his face like the smooth surface of a mirror and he could see the remnants of the spell that had been upon him for nearly six years. His right eye remained the familiar sharp blue he had always known to be his. But his left was several shades darker, indigo if he had to put a name to it, there were faint traces of the red color remaining in the pigmentation of his eye, but it was muted heavily by the blue, giving the iris a darker tone. It was unique. 

He didn’t hate it either.

Like the scars upon his back and face, he would own this new aspect of himself and continue on without letting the history behind it dragging him down. Ganondorf didn’t have any physical control over him any longer. 

Only Zelda could be used against him now, and Ganondorf wouldn’t risk her until he knew that he had Link in his grasp. One way or another.

The sound of harp strings being plucked again drew his attention away from the blade and he blinked, letting the sword ease back into the sheath. He looked up to see Sky plucking and strumming at notes on a beautiful hand harp. The design of its body was familiar in a way, but he couldn’t quite place it at the moment, but he  _ knew _ he had seen it before.

Even the tune being played was familiar to him but music wasn't something he had been allowed to pursue. There had been no reasoning behind why, but he had a feeling that it was because there was power in some music. When he had learned the Song of Time from Zelda for instance, he knew full well there was magic rooted into its very being, just as he knew there was magic rooted into the piece Sky was playing. 

He placed the sword down onto his lap, not wanting to give it back quite yet, and Sky didn't ask for it either. Sky was playing the piece with expert fingers and he hummed along to it as he played. A warming under his palms had Link looking down to the blade again and he saw there was a soft glow as well as a faint steady pulse following the tempo Sky set.

It was clear the entity in the sword knew the song as well and he let a smile crawl onto his face as he listened to both. The music was helping his nerves settle further and by the time the music was finished and Sky settled the harp back into his lap, Link’s muscles were lax. A miracle that he was still upright now that the other was done.

“Are you alright?”

“Hmm? Oh. I think so. I was over thinking a few things I’m guessing.”

“Were you expecting her to burn you?”

The question was innocent in the tone, genuinely curious to his answer and Link nodded his head after a moment of hesitation. “I did yes.”

Beneath his palms the blade warmed quickly to a comfortable temperature and pulses trembled along his arms as the spirit within the blade soothed him. Sky echoed what she was attempting to do. “She wouldn’t burn you unless you drew her against one of us. Even then, only enough to make you drop her. She’s only done it once to me, but I didn’t realize who it was until after.”

“She’s burned you?” Link asked in surprise.

“Just the one time. I drew her before I realized who it was after he snuck up on me. Apologized to both of them too. But in all truth, we can  _ not _ draw her against one another. It’s not in her nature to harm one of us for any reason, she shies from it, hence the burning.” Sky gave him a small smile.

“How badly did he catch you off guard for you to have drawn her?

“I had my back to him and didn’t hear him come up behind me. I had fought an enemy that liked to appear behind me with little to no warning several times on my own journey, so I’ve developed something of a sixth sense to tell me if someone is sneaking up on me when I’m not expecting it. My attention at the time was on what was in front of me, two of my companions had run off ahead of me and I had to stop to catch my breath. 

“I heard something behind me and I had drawn her before I even turned. Scared him half to death I think before she burned me.” There was a hint of amusement in Sky’s voice, accompanying a matching light in his eyes. 

Link could tell there was definitely more to the story than what was being told but he wasn’t going to try and pry it from Sky. He didn’t know any of them well enough for that level of familiarity and obvious secret telling. A soft huff of laughter left him and he looked back down to his lap, a smile tugging at his lip even as his own relief flowed through him at the realization of  _ not _ being rejected by the Master Sword.

“Thank you.”   
  


“For what?”

“Letting me hold her despite what happened.”

“She insisted and I would have anyway. I stand by what I said before. Not only were you a prisoner long enough, but I trust Fi and her guidance. Had you been lying or hiding something you wouldn’t have been able to hold her.” 

“I don’t doubt that.” Link picked the blade up from his lap and held her out for Sky to take. 

Sky did so without hesitation, but he didn’t take her from his grasp roughly. His hold was reverent when he pulled her back to his chest. He gently set her at his side after a moment and turned his attention back to Link. “Do you have any other questions right now?”

Before Link could even ask any of the few questions that he had on his mind, there was a knock at the door and both of them looked to it. 

The door opened a second later and standing in the entry with a tray of food in one hand was Link’s older counterpart. Not expecting him to be awake yet obviously by the pause before he finished coming in. “You’re awake, how are you feeling?”

“Better. A  _ lot _ better. Lighter too, I don’t feel like the weight of the world is on my chest anymore.” Link shifted on the bed and glanced to Sky before he looked back to Time as the other stepped over a bag and settled himself down near the edge of the bed he was in. The tray was set to his side and Link watched Time look at Sky with a faintly raised brow before back to Link.

“Good, we started to worry a bit when you kept sleeping. Not that we blame you.” The faintest amount of tension rolled off of the olders shoulders and Link shifted a little more on the bedding, his own relief palpable in the air. “I can also only imagine that you’re probably hungry too.”

As if to confirm what was already known, Link felt and heard his stomach gurgle. He felt his face heat up slightly from how loud it was and he avoided the other’s eyes when he finally realized for himself that he was ravenous. He’d only eaten the pair of pancakes that Time had given to him the day before and that was likely over a full day prior. “I am.”

After nodding Time turned his head to look at Sky again. “You should go get some rest. You’ve been watching over him for the last six hours and you sparred with Warriors and Twilight before.”

Sky huffed softly and shrugged. “I’m not tired, for once. I slept decently last night.” 

The flat look Time gave him didn’t dissuade Sky at all. Instead of moving to get up, Sky picked up the harp again and absentmindedly started plucking out a few notes defiantly, as if knowing what Time would be saying shortly.

Link looked between the two, his own brow quirked, curiosity gnawing at his throat when Time shook his head and spoke with a small smile. “You let him hold the sword then?”

“I did.” a slightly sharper pluck from one of the shorter taut strings rang high in the room.

“Wild’s going to be annoyed he wasn’t here.” 

“At least he wouldn’t have tried to stop me.” 

“Not that any of the others could.”

“I’m glad you see why I wasn’t letting them know it would be as soon as he woke up. She didn’t burn him either.”

“I figured as much. You wouldn’t have remained in here alone had she done so.” 

“Mmm. Just give him his food old man.” Sky looked up from the strings to see Link watching them both and a smile quirked at the others lips. “I think he could eat the whole tray if you give it to him.”

“I brought plenty to share, now go get something to eat then relax. I’ve got him from here.”

Sky shook his head slightly and settled the harp in his lap again. “Fine, do you want me to leave her here with you?”

He directed the question towards Link and his eyes darted down to the blade at Sky’s side. While he longed to hold her again he shook his head, knowing it would probably ease the rest of the group's nerves if he didn’t have a weapon within reach for a while. He wouldn’t hold it against them either. “No, it’s fine. She’s your blade, I’ll reach my own in time.”

Link flicked his eyes over to Time who was shifting things around on the tray after uncovering the plates. Both plates were filled to bursting. Each plate had two fried eggs, a slice of grilled fish next to a generous serving of lightly crisped hashbrowns, and a few slices of a red and white fruit he didn’t recognize. His mouth started watering as soon as the food was revealed and he only dragged his gaze away long enough to watch Sky shift towards him when a soft chime rang in the air.

The young man froze as warm arms wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him into a hug that he didn’t really know how to react to. Shock was on his face as Sky squeezed his arms firmly around him. 

When was the last time someone hugged him?

Saria?

No… 

_ Impa. _

As soon as they had gotten out of the cells they had taken a few moments to breathe in a sheltered alcove, catch their shaky footing and she had nearly frantically apologized for not knowing how to free him faster from their prison. He remembered her hugging him tightly and him clinging to her just as tight because he was * _ terrified _ * of being caught. She had sworn she would protect him, and he had silently made the same to protect her because his voice was locked in his throat.

They had lingered too long there though. Impa and he had hit a barrier at the main entry. 

Neither of them made it out and Impa paid the price for putting herself in front of him.

Unbidden the whole memory pulled itself forward.

_ The warm blood slick hand holding tightly to his never faltered as the pair staggered and stumbled through the corridors, following a path only the elder knew between them both. His much smaller hand was clinging just as tightly to her’s and he stumbled, tripping over his cracked and crimson stained feet. _

_ Both of them were exhausted and neither knew how far they would be able to get, but this was definitely the furthest anyone had ever achieved that Link knew of during his time in the dungeons. Impa stumbled herself, right shoulder hitting harshly against the wall as she reached out to brace herself and stay upright. _

_ When she spoke her voice was little more than a whisper, weak and strained. “There is an alcove ahead Link. We will take a short rest there. Catch our breath then leave this place.” _

_ The twelve year old nodded his head, keeping silent for now, unsure if his voice would even  _ **_want_ ** _ to work. As soon as the narrow alcove came into view once Impa steadied herself, she pushed him into it first after checking carefully around the corner of it for any possible enemies. So far the halls had been empty, making their escape easy, terrifyingly so at that. _

_ But neither of them were willing to look a gift-horse in the mouth for the chance they had been given when Impa had managed to strike down both Kotake and Koume with an iron bar she had worked to pry loose from her door.  _

_ Link collapsed to the floor of the alcove, chest heaving and body throbbing everywhere there was a cut, bruise, whip mark, burn… Even his mouth still throbbed in memory from the remaining pinpricks he remembered as the needle threaded his mouth shut so tightly he had been terrified to even try to pry his lips apart while the thread was still there.  _

_ That was several months ago though, possibly closer to a year as he remembered waking up three or so days after Ganondorf had nearly murdered his grandmothers for doing that to him, Impa was dragged past his cell, unconscious or stunned, and thrown into one a short distance diagonal from him.  _

_ Impa settling down next to him broke him from his train of thought and Link jumped slightly, little panicked wheezes pushing past his lips before he calmed and closed his eyes when he realized it was only her. Neither of them said anything for a few moments, then Impa broke the silence when she finally took her eyes off of the doorway to look to where he had pushed himself up to sit upright. _

_ “I’m so very sorry that I couldn’t get either of us out of there any sooner than this Link… I’m sorry that I di-  _ **_we_ ** _ didn’t know you were down there.” Her voice was cracking, probably from how dehydrated she was.  _

_ The child didn’t really know what to think of her apology and he looked down to his legs, seeing the bruises scattered across them both with scratches and small burns scattered across them. After a moment, Link looked up to her through matted and scraggly hair to meet her red-brown eyes. His own voice was just as hoarse as hers was and whisper soft. “It’s not your fault. No one knew I was and he wanted it to stay that way…” _

_ “We still should have sent someone to look for you.” Her hand reached out to gently touch the top of his head, her fingers snagging on a few knots in his hair as she slid her fingers through the strands to cup the back of his head. _

_ He tensed slightly at the action, unsure of what she was doing. But the hand went no further and remained still cradling his head. “For that I am sorry and I regret it.” _

_ “Nothing to regret when you didn’t  _ **_know_ ** _ that I was still here…” He hated repeating himself, but he understood why when he got a better look at her face in the dim lighting.  _

_ Both of her pupils were two slightly different sizes, signs of a concussion, likely a mild one, and she was probably nauseous too. Not that it would matter as there was nothing but bile to expel from her stomach or his own.  _

_ A soft hum had his ears perking up slightly and he let out a soft squeak of surprise as he was dragged forward and into her lap sideways. Both of her arms wrapped around him, the one threaded into his hair shifting just enough to pull his head down to her shoulder while the other looped around his waist. _

_ He froze. _

_ “I will get you out of here Link. Even if I do not make it past the castle doors myself, I will get  _ **_you_ ** _ out of here. When you are out, go to Kakariko, tell them I sent you. Find my mother, Imelda, she’ll help you recover and guide you where you need to go.”  _

_ Warm breath was on the top of his head and rather than feel terrified of the confinement, he went lax, wiggling his trapped arm free as he lifted the other. Both grasped the ragged tunic that Impa was wearing and his throat clenched as he tried to find words to tell her to just  _ **_leave_ ** _ him there, where he should be. He grit his teeth, fighting back his tears as he pressed his eyes against her collarbone. _

_ “I have a child there too. I think you both would get along well. Sheik would be a wonderful friend to you if training were not on their mind. Spirited, willful, curious…” Impa’s voice trailed off for a moment and there was a shaky breath that shifted him against her. “I miss them both. I miss my young charge, the little Princess… No doubt she’s terrified and wondering where I am.” _

_ She fell silent again and nothing was said for a few moments, no sound reached them either, indicating that they were still safe in the hallway.  _

_ Something warm hit the top of his head and it startled him enough for him to twitch and turn his head to look up to the underside of her chin. He blinked when something wet hit his now exposed cheek and he realized that it was a tear.  _

_ Impa was  _ **_crying_ ** _. Silently. _

_ The lump in his throat remained and he stayed quiet, choosing to not bring attention to the tears as he tucked his face back against her shoulder. He felt safe. _

_ For how long he didn’t know, but he trusted Impa.  _

_ Both of them stayed there and Link could feel the edges of exhaustion starting to creep along at his already aching limbs. With his left hand, he tugged at Impa’s tunic, voice barely above a whisper. “We should go, Impa.” _

_ Her arms tightened around him for a moment before falling lax and dropping to either side of them to let Link stand up. She followed after him and leaned herself against the wall for another few seconds then held her hand out to Link again, which he took. “Let’s go then.” _

_ Their silent journey continued unhindered and Link felt the hair on the back of his neck standing in anticipation and it was setting off alarm bells as they reached the corridor leading to the entrance hall. He came to an abrupt stop before they stepped foot into the hallway itself and he swallowed thickly, trying to get the lump in his throat to go away. _

_ Something was very wrong here. _

_ It was heavy in the air and he couldn’t get his voice to  _ **_work_ ** _ through the lump.  _

_ Impa’s hold on his hand and wrist tightened in question and there was a slightly confused look on her face as she looked back at him murmuring softly. “Link, we’re almost out. Why did you stop us here?” _

_ Her voice echoed in the entrance hall. Reverberating off of the pillars and ornately paned colored glass windows. The tapestries in between windows did nothing to muffle the sound and Link knew then and there that they were walking into a trap.  _

_ But he couldn’t speak. _

_ Link opened his mouth to say something only to close it again when no sound escaped him. Her hand tugged on his again and he stumbled forward, following after her as she moved as swiftly as she could to lead them out. They stuck to the left hand side of the entrance hall, slipping behind the pillars as quietly as they could manage it. _

_ Every time she paused to listen he tried to speak again and again. To warn her. _

_ Nothing ever spilled from his lips though. When the door was within reach, a soft thrum buzzed under his skin. One that had him tensing and twisting around as they stood in front of the  _ **_open_ ** _ doors. _

_ “What do we have here Kotake?” _

_ “A pair of escapees Koume.” _

_ Impa spun around swiftly, pulling Link behind her and herding him towards the doorway. A hiss of distress left Impa’s mouth and she shifted her weight as much as she could, ready to defend Link. Even concussed as she was, Link could see that she was refusing to waver in the stance she pulled herself into. _

__

_ At the far end of the hallway were the Twinrova, both settled almost comfortably upon their brooms, hovering a few feet above the floor where nearly a dozen Hylian guards and Gerudo warriors stood. There was a soft clattering of metal behind them and Link looked over his shoulder only to finally choke out a whine. _

_ Behind them, in front of the castle doors, and blocking them from further escape, were another dozen or so enemies, all stalfos. Some were carrying massive axes and they were all eyeing him and Impa almost eagerly. A curse spilled from Impa’s lips, likely in Sheikah as he didn’t know what she said. _

_ Link turned his eyes back forward, already knowing deep in his bones that they would both end up dragged back down below and tortured even further. He stayed as close to Impa’s back as he possibly could, warily watching as the sisters slowly began to float forward. _

_ “Our dear grandson would be so very disappointed in you, young boy.” _

_ “Disappointed indeed. He gave you a choice to live or die and you chose to live, you know?” _

_ “You didn’t know that, did you nanny sneak, did you?” _

_ Impa hesitated, glancing down briefly at Link, who had no doubt that his facial expression betrayed his panic, his fear of them and the mention of the ultimatum he’d been given.  _

_ “I didn’t but that doesn’t matter. He was  _ **_ten_ ** _ you hags.” Impa practically snarled out between her teeth as she shifted her weight again, taking a step to the side in an effort to herd Link towards the corner they had just stepped out of. _

_ A tiny bubble of hope grew in his chest at Impa’s words. She realized what no one else did and he wanted to make sure she got  _ **_out_ ** _ of there somehow, alive. _

_ “Impa…”  _

_ She didn’t stop backing them both towards the corner, out of reach of the doors, and tucked firmly behind the support pillar once again. Only once his heels hit the wall and he stumbled did she stop.  _

_ Her eyes were darting from one side of the pillar to the other, keeping the soldiers in her sight as they started to fan out to corner them completely. In the opposite corner on the other side of the door Kotake hovered, while along the windowed wall, Koume swayed from side to side like a snake in the air. Both of them hovering above six of the guards each, smiles splitting their weathered faces as they watched the pair. _

_ “Impa, you… maybe they will let you go if you leave me?”  _

_ “Not going to happen, Link. I promised you I would find a way to get you out of here, and I will.” There was a burning determination in her words and her posture refused to waver. _

_ The soft thrum of magic tingled through his skin again. His eyes snapped over to Koume who was holding one hand out, a ball of fire building slowly within the cradle of her fingers. His breath caught in his throat and he swallowed thickly.  _

_ “Neither of you will be leaving at all.” _

_ “Never. Our dear grandson has plans for you child.” _

_ “And for you as well, nanny sneak.” _

_ “I will have no part in those plans of his.” Impa snapped out at them both. _

_ “No choice.” _

_ “That has been taken from you by his orders.” _

_ “Over my dead body then!” Impa crouched forward slightly, shifting to the balls of her feet. _

_ Kotake cackled where she was floating and began forming a ball of ice within her own hands. “You can die right here nanny sneak.” _

_ “Hand the boy over and we’ll make it quick.” _

_ “Frozen solid in a flash?” _

_ “Or burned to a crisp?” _

_ Link could hear his heartbeat in his ears from how rapid it was beating within his ribs. The hair on his arms was standing up again. His eyes sliding from both halves of Twinrova to Impa who refused to budge. _

_ “Impa please…” _

_ He finally choked the words out, practically begging in his tone for her to just  _ **_leave_ ** _ him where they were. For her to just flee, to escape to safety. She could do it.  _

_ Just… without him. _

_ He was caught off guard when Impa turned swiftly around to face him as the fireball flew from Koume’s hand, matching the sphere of ice from Kotake’s. Both of her arms wrapped tightly around him again, one hand pushing his head down against her chest as she pinned them both to the corner in an effort to protect them both from the spells. _

_ A scream shattered the air as fire and ice collided in a burst of steam and agony, blisters forming swiftly along the bare skin of his legs and arms where they were uncovered. Impa trembled above him, gasping and trying to stay on her feet. Another pair of cackles broke through the hissing of steam as fire melted the ice rapidly. _

_ Above him, Impa slumped down, her knees giving out, sending them both tumbling to the floor. Link cried out as a burst of pain from the new blisters on his legs were jarred, but it did nothing to match the shrill scream that Impa let free as her whole body jolted. Skin pulled taut, peeling rapidly from the two extremes, leaving her exposed skin a shiny and angry red where he could see it when he lifted his head up to look at her. _

_ The entire time though, her arms refused to let go of him, holding him tightly to her chest. Her teeth were grit and her face was twisted up in pain, eyes clenched shut tightly as she struggled to gain her breath. _

_ Movement above them caught Link’s eyes and he took in a shaky breath, his trembling starting anew when both witches circled lazily around the pillar now, each one watching them as they moved around it.  _

_ “Look Koume, nanny sneak still lives.” _

_ “She does, doesn’t she, Koume?” _

_ “Should we remedy that now?” _

_ Silence was in the air verbally as armored footsteps moved to surround them both completely now that they were both prone. Weapons were lowered towards them, points shimmering in the light from both witches’ brooms and the scattered colors of the weak light coming through the stained glass. _

_ “I think a lesson should be taught.” _

_ “A lovely lesson then.” _

_ “One that the boy will remember.” _

_ “One that the boy will learn to never repeat.” _

_ The hold Impa had on him tightened even further, making his breaths short and ragged as he tried to breathe in. She was protecting him as much as she could, even in the face of the inevitable.  _

_ Kotake stopped circling and Koume followed, shifting up so that she was level with her twin. Both of them were watching his face and Link couldn’t stop the bubbling well of thin tears as they started to spill over. _

_ “Link…” _

_ Surprise had him jerking his attention away from them to look to Impa’s face. Her eyes were open, tears of her own were falling, leaving trails down her face and hitting the ground with soft plips. Seeing she had his attention, she gave him a weak smile before pulling his head back down, blocking the Twinrova from his sight.  _

_ Her lips were against his left ear, words barely audible. “You will find freedom in the future. Take it tight with both hands and don’t let go. Bring Ganondorf down… I believe you can do it, Link. I just… I just wish a child didn’t have to be the one to do it…” _

_ Link’s eyes widened and when he went to respond there was a blistering pain in the side of his head and he knew no more. _

His throat closed up as he came back to reality and he blinked back the beginnings of a well of tears he had never consciously let fall since that day. Hesitantly he lifted one arm up and gripped that hand firmly into the others shirt and he ducked his head down into Sky’s shoulder. He couldn’t say anything.

He didn’t have to.

Sky spoke for him, voice quiet but firm. “Know that you’re free. Know that he will never take you back. Know that Fi is waiting for you.  _ Know that you have my full support.” _

Link swallowed thickly and nodded against his shoulder as another tight squeeze was given before Sky pulled away and stood up. He took in a shaky breath and glanced over to Time who was pointedly averting his gaze from them both, giving them a semblance of privacy. Forcing the words past the lump in his throat, he managed a hoarse,  _ “Thank you.” _

“You’re welcome Link, enjoy your food and get some more rest.” Sky had a soft smile on his face and he turned away to go back to where he had been sitting. 

Link watched as Sky gathered his Master Sword and harp up and left the room quietly, the door shutting with a soft click behind him. It was quiet in the room as he fought to catch his breath around the lump still in his throat. He hadn’t expected that. 

To even be  _ accepted _ so easily by someone just two days ago he’d been sent to retrieve and return to the castle with. Granted he knew it didn’t extend to the rest of Sky’s group he had no doubt, but still... Looking down at his lap, he swallowed thickly again and took a slow deep breath in before letting it out. Then, he nearly jumped out of his skin.

“Are you alright?”

Link whipped his head up fast enough to send a small prickle of pain along the muscles in his neck, to fix his eyes on Time. He blinked in surprise, having momentarily forgotten that the other was in the room with him due to his prior silence. “I- Yes. I’m alright. I just wasn’t…”

“Sky’s a good judge of character. Even without the sword he can read people rather easily. The others will eventually see what he does, it will take some time for others, but…” Time shrugged lightly and handed him one of the plates.

He took the offered dish and kicked the blankets off of his legs and crossed them to sit a little more comfortably while he started to poke his way around his plate. “What about you? You didn’t say what you think of me.”

“I judge on actions that I’ve seen. I said it before if I remember right. What you’ve done in your past is horrible I’m sure, but there was a secondary source behind the motions, figuratively and literally. We all have skeletons in closets we keep tightly shut, even me. What I’ve seen from you so far is honesty. Believe it or not, I know how to keep people from figuring out if I’m lying or not. You haven’t learned how to yet so, so far you’ve given us nothing but truth when asked, hedged or shortened yes, but the truth.” Time then promptly shoved a mouthful of fish in his own mouth, a  _ now eat _ going unspoken.

Taking the dismissal to eat as given, he finally started to dig in. It was probably one of the best meals that he’d had in all of his memories. Even before he left the Kokiri Forest. He stopped mid bite at a small pang of unease that bubbled up in his chest but he pushed it aside. Food first, then discussing what to do.

Both of them cleaned their plates in silence and Link pondered what the tangy sweet-sour fruit was that he’d eaten out loud once both of them were done eating. “What was that fruit?”

“Hmm? Oh, Voltfruit. It’s from Wild’s time. He’s got several more stored away if you would like more.” There was a faint amused tone in Time’s voice as he took Link’s plate from him and set it back down on the tray.

“Maybe.” Silence filled the room again for a few moments before he looked back at Time. “What do we do now?”

“Plan. We’ve already decided that we are going to do what we can to help right what we can. To help you get to Ganondorf. We already know we can’t interfere with your fight, but we can get you  _ there _ and in the higher position to defeat him. Anything you can tell about what he has in his army, any movements you know of, anything at all helps us help  _ you _ win.” 

Time was sitting up straight, posture commanding, but restrained. Link subconsciously mimicked it and nodded firmly as he responded. “I’m not sure how accurate what I do know will be now that you’ve all freed me. If he is still in his right mind and not lost in a rage, he would start changing plans, speeding some things up or slowing others down to sit back and wait. I do remember a caravan was coming in from the Gerudo Desert with a new rotation of guards. One of which I think he had an intense interest in. I don’t remember her name, but he wanted her as one of his personal guards or something.”

The hitch in the elders' breath was audible and Link didn’t miss the widening of his eye either. When he didn’t say anything Link spoke up. “You know who I’m talking about don’t you?”

“Nabooru. She’s a formidable Gerudo fighter, she’s also the Sage of the Spirit Temple out past the wastes. Unawakened now in my own time.” Time’s voice was strained. 

“Unawakened?”

“She didn’t need to have her status as a Sage woke up within her in the timeline I am from now. When I- _ we _ started, our task after taking the sword in hand was to release the Temples from Ganondorf’s control and wake the powers of the guardians of each one. She had been under a spell cast by Twinrova and I had to fight her to free her.”

“Wait... “ Something heavy settled deep in his gut and unease started to creep it’s way up his spine. “How many Temples are there?”

“Six. Forest, Fire, Water, Spirit, Time, and Shadow.”

“Who were the Sages?”

Here the elder hesitated before he said anything. “In the order I said the Temples, Saria, Darunia, Ruto, Nabooru, Rauru, and... “

Link didn’t need to know who. The hesitation and the glance that was aimed his way spoke volumes. It spilled like acid from his lips when he whispered the missing name. “Impa.”

“Yes.”

Silence filled the room again at that answer and Link stared at the far wall, both of his hands holding tightly to his ankles where he had yet to uncross them. “They never would have let her leave alive. Not if… Not if he already knew what she could potentially do.”

“No, he knows who all of the Sages are, at least he did in my time. I’ve no doubt he’s trying to find them all here and that he at least has an idea who they are.”

Link wracked his brain, trying to draw up any memory or rumor he remembered hearing through the halls when he travelled the castle on orders. His attention dropped down to his hands, both of which were clutching even tighter to his ankles, knuckles nearly white against his skin. Memory of a whispered conversation as two soldiers had passed him came to the front of his mind and he lifted his head up to look at Time.

“I think he may be trying to draw them out of hiding. If he can’t do that I… He’s going to neutralize them in any way possible, even by destroying their homes. But I don’t know who he knows of and who he doesn’t.”

“I know. He attempted to do so on my journey by trapping them in their respective Temples to keep them from assisting my Zelda and I from trapping or defeating him. As you know we succeeded and he failed, but it was hard. Very hard in some of them Temples in truth.” Time grimaced as if remembering several moments within the various Temples.

Link remembered the collective times that he went against Time in the Water Temple, the burning determination that the other (at the time) teenager had to bring him down. He gave as good as he got, refusing to give in without fighting back as hard as he could. Only to be taken down by surprise attacks that even  _ he _ couldn’t mimic. 

Guided by a little blue fairy that he remembered threatening into staying with Time. 

He needed to tell Time about that and ask about what happened to Navi after he finished his quest.

“At least you had a companion to keep you company.” There was a wistful tone to his words and that drew Time’s attention back to him. Link met his sharp gaze and gave him a wry smile. “Navi stayed with you where she didn’t with me.”

“She did.” There was a faint light of suspicion in the elder’s eyes and Link finally looked away, turning his head slightly to look to the far wall, waiting for the question he knew was bubbling under Time’s skin. 

A few quiet moments passed, tension faintly building before the question he waited for was asked. “How did you know she stayed with me?”

“You said you appreciate my honesty in a way. I hope that what I’m about to say doesn’t change that.” Just a moment passed before Link took a slow deep breath. “I threatened her. Every time that I was called to your timeline, it was always before you entered the Temple of Time. She tried to flee and I told her what would happen in no small detail what would happen if she left you.”

Stunned silence met his ears and he continued on, finally turning his eyes back to the room’s other occupant. “I didn’t want what happened to me to happen to you. As soon as I knew you were safe, I was sealed within the Water Temple and spelled into a sleep of some sort.”

“You… You threatened  _ my _ Navi?” Time’s voice cracked faintly and Link’s jaw flexed as he nodded stiffly.

“Like I said, I didn’t want you to fail like I did. Her leaving me was the catalyst I think for where we separated. I was distracted trying to calm her down and didn’t move fast enough to catch her as she fled. I still had the Zora’s Sapphire in my hands when she did and… I dropped it when the face of the Temple exploded. She was gone within seconds and I don’t know what happened to her.

“If I knew of any other way to keep her from leaving you and trapping you in the mess that I’m in now I would have done that instead. But she stuck with you and when you came into that room in the Water Temple that I was in… I was  _ relieved _ seeing her. I can’t trust fairies myself, especially those I know, but just knowing she stayed with  _ you _ took a weight off of me.”

It was silent in the room again, a pin could have dropped and echoed. Time and Link stared at one another without moving and the unspoken spell remained unbroken for several seconds. Only the need to blink because of their eyes beginning to water caused them to break away from one another.

“What did you threaten her with?” Time murmured softly.

“A bottle. I was going to shove her in a bottle and throw her back into the temple so that she rolled against the wall at the back for you to find her once the gems were in place,” his reply was just as soft and he was looking towards the door. “She believed me and returned to your side.”

“Would you really have done that?”

“Only if she truly tried to flee again.” 

A deep sigh was the immediate response and there was a shift of the material of bed that he was sitting on. Link tensed, unsure and leery of what could happen but that fear was unfounded when a hand settled down on top of his head for a few moments before it was pulled back. “I understand. Do I like that you threatened her? No, but I understand  _ why _ you did it.”

Link looked up through his bangs and straightened up seeing Time’s expression. He looked sad, melancholy even. Something clicked into place in his mind and before he even realized he was speaking, it spilled out. “Where’s your Navi?”

“Gone. After I defeated Ganondorf in my time she left me in the Temple of Time when I was sent back,” his words were soft again and he had a wistful smile on his face. “I spent almost three years trying to find her again after I was returned. I never found her, but I also couldn’t go back into the Lost Woods without getting lost and having to be led back out by Saria or Mido. They advised me to stop trying to find her in the Woods, but they  _ did _ reassure me that Navi wasn’t there anymore.”

“Did you stop looking for her?”

“No, I didn’t. I still leave out sugar water for her to find if she’s ever around. My home has several bowls of it scattered around the buildings. Fairies are always coming and going, it’s safe for them there too. My wife and I stop fairy hunters from taking them.”

“It sounds like it’s safer for them. I’ve had my fair share of encounters with fairy hunters, but I couldn’t interfere with them.” Link didn’t miss the comment about Time having a wife, but he held his tongue, not wanting to ask or know who she was just yet, it wasn’t his place.

A grim look took over the others' faces and he frowned. “I take it they are very common around here?”

“Very. Ganondorf pays a hefty sum to people who bring in fairies. I don’t know what he uses them for but I hate seeing them being trapped and handed over to him. I may not like or trust fairies anymore, but I wouldn’t wish anything bad upon them.”

Time nodded and sighed as he reached up to rub at the side of his face. “There are a few reasons that I can think of for fairy hunters to be around, none of them good.”

“I figured as much. There is one who is commonly bringing in a dozen or more every week. That’s more than most of the other hunters, I only met the man twice though. Both times had his head ducked down under a hood. Never spoke to him myself, but he  _ was a _ bit familiar.” Link hummed softly under his breath in thought. 

“Perhaps we can figure it out in the future?” 

“Maybe. But I think we got a bit off track.” Link took in a deep breath as he closed his eyes, filing his lungs as much as he could before he held it and let it out slowly. When he opened them again he met Time’s again.

“Is there anything else you can think of at the moment that could be of help?”

He shook his head with a small frown. “No, the only thing that I could think of would be him hosting a ball or banquet. But he already hosted one earlier this month. Unless he has a message to send to some poor noblemen that upset him.”

“Hmm… We’ll ask if Imelda can have a few people listen in just in case. For more than one reason too. Gerudo women take care of their own, if they notice Nabooru’s not where she’s supposed to be they will poke their noses in and around to find answers.”

“They might help. I… I had five trainers that stayed permanently at the castle for me specifically. They answered to him of course, but they do genuinely like me.”

“Enough that they may turn against Ganondorf if given a defined reason?”

The tone Time used, almost challenging in a way, had Link hesitating a bit as he thought of how to answer. “Maybe. Like you said, they care for their own. Nabooru may know them and they will probably expect her to have a drink with them twice a week at least.”

That sinking feeling was in his stomach again and he shifted in place as he thought over what he said. It could be entirely possible that she wouldn’t even  _ arrive _ with the rest of the caravan coming in from the Desert. Twinrova could easily manipulate members of the caravan and have Nabooru spirited away. It would possibly be best to bring it up too.

“The caravan. It should be arriving in…,” mentally he subtracted the day he slept, “Three days I think. They wanted to have as many supplies ready to go in one trip as possible. A lot of them don’t even like coming into Hyrule so it’s also a shuffle around to find those willing to make the trip and stay for a set time before returning.”

“I’ll pass that on too then. Hopefully we can save Nabooru before it’s necessary to break her out.”

Link nodded in agreement and finally relaxed his hold on his ankles. “Right now I’m worried for Zelda. I know she doesn’t like me nor care for me at all, but she’s still my responsibility and I have no doubt that Ganondorf will do everything he can to push her into finding a suitor.”

“He wants to have an heir through her he can mold to his liking doesn’t he?”

“Yes. He’s even stated that it’s regretful that she was too old to sway to his side when he took over, and he’s done his best to get her to see his side of everything that he’s done, but she refuses to. He’s angry, desperate at some points too, when it comes to her defiance. Ganondorf has never struck her, nor allowed anyone else to, but he does restrict access to her tower to just himself and the stalchildren. Even  _ I’m _ not allowed up there when he’s furious.”

The urge to bounce his leg was starting to build as he thought about what could possibly be done to Zelda. Nothing could be done on his end at the moment beyond planning. He could do that. 

“Getting her out of the Castle is the main thing I want to do. The only problem there is, is getting  _ to _ her. Only two ways in and out, both of which are heavily guarded by a steady rotation of guards; Gerudo, Hylian, and Stalfos. Roughly eight hour shifts, with the Stalfos overnight and the other two swapping every week who has morning and who has afternoon and evenings. 

“We would have to draw them away from the gates and even that isn’t a guarantee for success because of how the rotation works. Always six on post. Two at the gate itself, two within the gate house, and two patrolling in front of the gate from one hundred paces to either side. Every hour they switch over, the ones patrolling go to the gatehouse, the gatehouse go to the gate, and the gate goes to patrol.” 

Had the seal still been in place he would have been writhing on the mattress beneath him. Link was relishing this newfound freedom as there was hope, there was a  _ light _ that he could see giving him a path to follow. A way to bring Ganondorf down and start the process to restore what could be of Hyrule itself.

“I don’t know if you know the Castle all that well from your own time, but I don’t think there has been any sort of construction. All of the stonework that I had ever seen was in much the same state of being as the rest of the castle. Zelda is in the northeastern tower. With me as a guard she was able to go to the gardens below her rooms, to the library, and to the banquet hall. If Ganondorf lets her, she can go further, but it’s very rare that he allows that and the spell keeping her trapped in the Castle is tied to him through a necklace.

“Gerudo in design, golden and intricately woven around a ruby about…” he tried to think of a good comparison for the size of the gem inlaid to the metal and his mind went to the idea of his sword’s pommel. “I think about the size of a sword pommel for a hand-and-a-half sword. I don’t know all of the spells attached to it, but I do know that only someone  _ not _ Zelda can remove it outside of her tower, which is a failsafe for Ganondorf to have if she were to somehow get out of the gr-”

Link didn’t really realize he was rambling on until a hand dropped down onto his right wrist and finally caught his attention. His teeth clicked together when he shut his mouth and he looked up, a faint sheepish smile on his face to meet the amused look on Time’s face. “I.. I’m sorry. I haven’t been able to speak this freely in who knows how long.”

“Don’t be sorry, but this sort of topic should be discussed with everyone present. Which will have to wait until I can talk to Legend and get him to  _ listen _ .” The smile on Time’s face was meant to be reassuring, he had no doubt, but it wasn’t truly.

A small frown crawled onto Link’s lips at the reminder that there was one member of the group that  _ really didn’t _ like him. He was also pretty certain that Legend was the one that punched him in the face. “Do you know what I can do to...”

“No, sadly not. Legend keeps his secrets close to his chest and hardly any of us know much of what happened on his own journeys beyond the basics.” 

“Right… I may try to avoid him for a while then.” was muttered before he sighed and let his shoulders drop. That however brought up the reminder that he was  _ free _ from not just Ganondorf, but the cell too. “What are the limits to me being out of the cell?”

“I was wondering when you would ask about that. Imelda said that someone has to remain with you at all times, especially when or if you choose to wander Kakariko,” a wry smile was on the other’s face as he explained. “I’m sure you don’t need to know why?”

“No, I understand fully why I should have someone with me.” Link shook his head and sighed again. “I don’t really want to have a mob attack me if I’m actually roaming the village. I honestly might not wander too often. The people don’t like me.”

That brought a deep frown onto Time’s face and Link just turned his gaze away from him when he started speaking. “It’s not too late to try and repair your story you know.”

“For me it is. Nine years of horrible things happening to the population, four of which were done at my own hand? No, the people will hold tightly to their opinion of me and not want to budge. I’d rather be known as a fallen hero than anything else. I did fail them initially after all.” The last part was little more than a whisper, barely exhaled and he jolted when Time snorted softly.

“You forget that I had slept seven years myself. There were a lot of people that cursed at and ridiculed me in mine for not stopping Ganondorf’s take over. The more people I helped the better people thought of me. I proved that I was willing to fix thi-”

Link lifted his head up and met Time’s eye and there was a burning look in his own eyes as he cut the elder off. “I’ve  _ murdered _ people Time. Innocents and the guilty both. All on orders from Ganondorf. I’ve had to burn homes down, slaughter livestock, and sow salt into the fertile soil of farmland because of him. A few good deeds  _ won’t _ erase even a smidgen of what I’ve done to my own people. I have no doubt that even if I were to kill Ganondorf, my past would still follow me and I would remain as a tyrant’s pawn in history.”

The other’s lips were pressed into a thin line and he sighed, pinching at the bridge of his nose, obviously in thought before he pulled his hand back and looked at Link again. “It  _ won’t _ fix everything no, but even a little bit of a change can impact the way people see you in the future. Besides, it’s already confirmed that in Legend’s time you’re considered a hero, albeit a fallen one as you said. Something clearly changed for the better at some point, Legend and Hyrule wouldn’t even be alive if you completely failed.”

“Wait, what?”

“Mm. We learned that if we were to sit back and leave you to your own devices or hadn’t helped break Ganondorf’s hold over you, the timeline for Legend and Hyrule would end. They would cease to exist, and Hyrule itself as we know it would be destroyed. So, clearly something falls in your favor.”

His mouth opened, but nothing came out for a second and he shut his mouth again, looking down to his hands again, murmuring just barely loud enough to be heard. “I don’t know what I could possibly do to turn their attention awry from what I’ve done. Again, I doubt that taking care of Ganondorf will be enough.”

Time said nothing for a short time, Link slowly settling back down, feeling a creeping exhaustion starting to build up from the quiet of the room around him. He was tempted to simply lay back down and turn away from the elder, but he resisted that urge. 

A stray thought came to his mind and he glanced up through his bangs. “Are all of us named Link then? I know you are, but…”

“ _ All _ of us are named Link, yes. Just as we all have a Zelda, well, Hyrule has two Zelda’s but it’s apparently a complicated situation with them both.” Time chuckled, the tension in the room easing some which helped lessen the pressure Link felt on his chest.

“Is that why you go by Time then?”

“Partly, it’s also my hero title. All of us go by our monikers, well, Four doesn’t but he has reason to not want to be called Men, as he’s the Hero of Men. He’s been tight lipped about why he chose Four though,” Time mused.

“What is everyone’s name again, and if you feel up for it, a defining feature they have? Obviously I know Sky and yourself,” he was curious now, and he was hoping to learn, even if a little bit, about the others.

“Well, since I’ve already mentioned him by name, Four is not just the shortest of our group, but he also wears a four colored tunic, and he’s an accomplished blacksmith. Wind is our youngest member, a pirate, and he is probably the most energetic of us next to Wild. Wild is our resident cook, he’s probably the second most obvious to pick out in a crowd beside myself thanks to the scars he has, visible immediately and not. Hyrule and Wild both have to be watched any time we are out travelling since they will * _ both _ * wander off and become lost. Hyrule is the only one of us with a sandy hair tone, and he has greener eyes, he’s quiet and humble.

“Warriors is normally obvious to pick out thanks to his blue cape, it used to be a scarf. When he’s not wearing it, which is rare, his posture is stiffer. He’s the only other member beside Sky who has had formal training as a knight, Technically Wild did once, but… that’s his story to tell. Not even I did beyond a cursory thing. Also, Warriors and Legend are easy to set apart from the others because of their bickering, usually lighthearted but they do tend to get carried away. Legend… He’s snappish towards a lot of people, but he isn’t a bad kid. He’s been through the most compared to the rest of us, six separate journey’s compared to one or two. There is a strip of pink in his hair and he hates wearing pants.

“I’ll still mention Sky just in case, but he usually has his white sailcloth draped over his shoulders, or he’s using it as a pillow somewhere nearby. As for Twilight, he has the markings on his face and the wolf pelt that he rarely goes without.” 

Link listened with rapt attention to the simple descriptions and he tried to put their faces to each one and believed that he had them. He would put it to the test eventually though, for now he nodded his head when Time finished. “Thank you. How… How  _ did _ you all pick your names though?”

“Either we have records from the past in our times of one of the others, or the Master Sword gave it to them, like in Sky and Hyrule’s cases. Four is known to myself, I’m known to Twilight and Wind, Legend knows of  _ you _ , and Hyrule knows of Legend. Warriors and Wild knew their own titles thanks to a massive defining feature of their journey’s as well as several of us were known through old writings and records in Wild’s case or through first hand experience thanks to a sorceress in Warriors’.” 

It was startling to realize that Time was  _ not _ out of breath by the time he finished talking. Link thought  _ he _ had gone on a long winded ramble, but this just put him to shame. He blinked again and nibbled at the inside of his lip before he gathered his thoughts properly. “I have an idea for what I should be called. But I  _ do _ want to speak with Sky again and ask the Sword if what I think it should be is alright.”

“If you’re sure. The others will use that instead of our shared name. Or even something else, they call me old man, and there are various other names we call one another too.”

The tension had dropped again and Link let a soft sigh of relief free and let his shoulders relax again. “I’ll try to keep to everyone’s titles. I’m pretty sure most of them probably would rather I not be overly familiar with them for a while at least.”

Time hummed for a second and sighed. “Never say never. Besides, taking down Ganondorf’s army may take some time yet. That’s a high chance that the others may and possibly will warm up towards you to at least be comfortable.”

Link didn’t reply to that, not really wanting to run the chance of Time being wrong. Once again however, a stray thought came to him and he looked at his clothing, not recognizing it and he tensed slightly at the realization that whomever changed him saw his scars. He wasn’t self-conscious, usually about the webbing of lashes that criss-crossed his back and upper arms, but he was the one to willingly show them if he felt like it. 

“Who changed my clothing?” He grimaced when he realized his tone was sharp and he clenched his eyes shut before exhaling after a deep slow breath was released. “Sorry…”

“It’s fine, but I’m the one who changed you out of them.” 

He relaxed again at that, knowing that his counterpart was the one to change him out of his old clothing. “Who’s things am I wearing then?”

“Some of mine. Sky, Warriors, and Twilight are the only other ones that could possibly have anything that could fit you. But we don’t carry a lot of spare clothing on us. Just what we need and a few changes each.” 

“Right, the rest of your group are not as muscular as us.”

“Yes, plus you are broader across the shoulders than I am, so I’m glad that I usually pack my larger shirts when I’m traveling to sleep in. They were the only ones that fit you without being too tight.” Time gave him a smile again. “Twilight is about as broad as you are, but not quite broad enough.”

“I’ll have to find a way to get new things then. Will I be able to go out and purchase them or would it probably be safer for one of you to do it with my measurements?”

“I can do it. I’ll ask for slightly larger clothing as well. We look very similar yes, but I’m clearly older and I have these to set us apart.” Time gestured at the right side of his face with his hand where there were two red stripes that looked similar to tattoos, a scar across that eye sealing it shut from the damage and an almost rupee like shaped blue tattoo that was similar to the red markings in design. 

“Did you get those tattooed on?” It was out of his mouth before he even realized it.

Time froze and the older traced the red lines easily with his fingers, his voice low and eyes distant. “No. I’m not going to tell you what happened, but it’s a price I paid and leave it at that. It’s more than I’ve told the other boys about them too, so I would appreciate it if you kept that to yourself.”

Link nodded his head and tried to think of something to say to deviate from the previous topic. Again, just as when Time arrived when he and Sky had spoken, there was a knock at the door, breaking them both from the tension.

“Hey Time, Legend’s back. Twi’s got him occupied right now if you want to go talk to him.” The other teenager that opened the door to the room was clearly Wild. The scars on his face were telling when Link mentally compared the description to the others face. “I don’t know how long he can keep him in the dining room though, Legend was looking a bit- oh! You’re awake!”


	15. Image (Link - Fallen)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fresh point of view pulls more into perspective. Possibly even enough to see the budding light at the end of this long dark tunnel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: so I forgot about 300 words in one spot due to a copy/paste error on my end. It should be fixed now. I have 0 idea how I missed it when I went through and did the initial editing lol
> 
> Edit 2: ALSO I PUT IN A PIECE DONE BY THE LOVELY AND TALENTED Estajay THAT SHE DREW OF MY BOY!

Link blinked in surprise at Wild’s sudden change in subject, caught slightly off guard by his attention going straight to him for a moment as a smile stretched across the other teenagers face. The scars that were on the left side of the others face pulled slightly with the expression and Link dimly wondered if there was a chance that they hurt. Wild’s attention turned away from him back to Time and the smile creased into a grimace as he briefly glanced over his shoulder back down the hallway before he continued.

“But yea, Legend is back and he’s not looking too pleased about it. He seems calmer though and Wars sent me up here to get you while he helps Twi keep him contained.” 

Time sighed softly before nodding his head. “Alright. Thank you for telling me that he was back in the building, Wild.”

“Of course, I can watch over Link if you want me to. I don’t mind at all.” He didn’t seem like he did either. 

The eldest of the three in the room looked back to Link. “Will you be fine with that? If not I can always ask Sky to come back up.”

A brief moment of hesitation Link nodded his head. “I should be fine. I might lay back down though.”

Time looked over his face, gaze reading him as much as he could before he nodded and shifted to stand up. The dishes they used were neatly stacked and picked up before he turned to leave as Wild finished stepping into the room. “If you need anything just call for me or Sky then. I’ll be back as soon as I’m done talking with Legend.”

“Don’t worry about it, Time, I can watch over him for a few hours. You’re the only one who’s been holed up in here really over the last day. Stretch your legs and do something else for a while.” 

“Wild…”

“What?”

TIme stared at the other teenager who stared back at him in return with an indignant look on his face. “Don’t get into trouble.”

“ _Why does everyone think I’m irresponsible?!_ ”

“Do you really want me to answer that?”

“ _Yes?_ ”

There was a beat as a sly smile drew across Time’s face as he glanced back over to Link for a moment. “The Lynel.”

Link watched Wild go still and narrow his eyes on the other man. “No. You _swore_ that you wouldn’t bring that up again.”

“Sticks and bomb arrows, Wild. _Sticks and bomb arrows_ .” There was a sly smile on Time’s face as Wild’s became progressively redder. “You’re _lucky_ that we were close by when that happened.”

“I had it under control!” was the swift response as Wild crossed his arms, a mulish expression pulling itself up on his face. 

Link had no idea what a Lynel was, but judging by the response and reaction it was probably a large and dangerous monster you needed a plan to fight. It was a struggle to not start laughing however because Wild stomped his foot like a child when the smirk on Time’s face grew larger. 

“You did not, your last stick broke just as we all came running and you were screeching and running as fast as you could.”

“The stick was shitty anyway, if it was a fresh one it would have lasted longer!”

“Wild.”

“You’re just worried that I’ll rope him into something like that aren’t you?”

A gleam of mischief was in Time’s eye at that as he looked to Link and Link raised a brow of his own before he caught on. They were one in the same at their base, Time was probably still the one playing small tricks on people, or rather the group and getting away with it. Link did the same to the soldiers when he was able to get away with it, it wasn’t often, but the nature of a Kokiri still shone through him in ways, even if he were _not_ a true Kokiri.

“No, it’s not him that I’m worried about. But it still stands, you’re lucky we got there and helped get the situation under control.”

Wild huffed and looked away while pulling his arms tighter across his chest, lower lip pushed out slightly in a pout. “I would have found a way to kill it. Eventually.”

Time rolled his eye and turned away with a shake of his head. “I’ll be back later then.”

“He’ll be in one piece, don’t worry so much.”

Link could have sworn he heard an amused mutter from the door as it swung shut behind Time as Wild was instantly occupied by a strange contraption he pulled off his hip. “It’s not him I’m worried about.”

Wild walked over to one of the other three beds and flopped down as his finger slid across the surface of whatever the block in his hands was. It illuminated the others face and definitely threw the others facial scarring in sharp relief through the blue tinged lighting coming from it.

He itched to know what the block thing was, but he didn’t know if it would be rude or not to outright ask. So, he started to fidget with the blanket that was bunched up by his legs.

His fingers plucked at some of the threading in the material, mind distantly wondering what kind of fabric the Sheikah used as it was slightly different from the common cotton in Castletown and from the linen Gerudo warriors used in their casual clothing. It was smooth, and rather slippery in texture on the top layer, but the underside of the comforter was _definitely_ cotton, or close to it.

Letting his mind wander about the fabric of the material for a few minutes he glanced up to Wild’s spot and saw that the other had his _hand_ in the face of the block. Clearly rummaging around inside of it for something, but it was the fact that he was in it up to his elbow that had him breaking his silence. “What is _that_ thing?!”

Wild stopped what he was doing to look over at him and then pulled his arm back, his hand clutched around something that he pulled out of the little glass sheet covering it. He had pulled out a fruit, an apple to be precise and he held it up to show Link. “An apple.”

“I know what an apple is, I’m meaning that block thing.” His tone was incredulous and he knew it. 

The responding grin given to him was punctuated by a huge bite out of the fruit. Wild chewed the mouthful, letting the block fall into his lap. Link stared at him in silence waiting for an answer before the other finished it.

“It’s called the Sheikah Slate. It’s been a constant in my life since I started my journey.” Wild looked down to the Slate in his lap and picked it back up before putting the apple core into its screen again.

Link shifted forward to get a better look at the object and Wild shifted on his own bed to move closer. With the beds on the floor, it was easy for Wild to climb over all of the beds to settle next to Link and show him what it was. 

Getting a much better look now that Wild had settled to his right and it wasn’t being a rushed march or from the otherside of prison bars, Link could clearly see that it _was_ heavily influenced by Sheikah in design. The emblem of the teardrop falling from the wide open eye was very telling and the coloration of the item was more than enough to cement its origin. Beyond that it was completely foreign though.

“How does it work? I’ll admit that I’ve never seen something like this before in my life.” 

“It’s technology and some magic too. Korok magic to be exact. This part allows me to take true to life images with this lens here,” he flipped the block over to show another Sheikah Eye with a glass like pupil. He was looking over the details of the design when a soft click had him blinking in surprise before Wild turned it over to show him the screen again. “See? That’s what you look like from the camera.”

The image was startling in it’s clarity, and it was far closer to his face than he figured the lens actually was because he could see the scarring on his lips in _detail._ Not even the mirrors in the castle he caught glimpses of himself in were that clear, thanks to the grime that had slowly started to coat them over the years. There was a pair of thin lines under his left eye, one going through the dark-grey script tattooed on his cheek and another about a half inch under that from what he guessed was the arrow that nearly hit him.

Even the difference in the color of his eyes were further visible than it had been in the reflection from the Master Sword. His hair looked horrible though, oily and nearly to the state he was going to start itching at his scalp. Just the thought of it began the ghost-like sensation of discomfort through the strands. He needed to bathe soon.

“That… How does…”

“It work? Purah tried to explain it to me when I got to her and she fixed it, but a lot of the terminology went over my head. Most of the words she used to describe the function I’ve never heard in my life.” Wild was looking down at the screen, his finger sliding across it to a different image. This one was of a series of small squares with individual items in them. 

Leaning a little closer and furrowing his brow, Link realized he was looking at different food items, including one that looked like the outer skin of the fruit that he had eaten earlier during his breakfast. “And this?”

“My inventory. My pack is small, most of my stuff is in here. I only keep a few things out of this within easy reach simply because I may need them in a quick moment.” 

Link wanted to touch the screen, but he refrained from doing so as it wasn’t his to use. Plus he didn’t want to run the risk of doing something it couldn’t handle. Instead he watched as Wild slid the screen further to the left quickly, what looked like clothing, then bows, shields, then all manner of weaponry being flicked past. Wild came to a stop when what looked like text was visible on the screen. It looked familiar, but _not_ at the same time and his head tilted.

Wild answered his unspoken question before he had a chance to speak up. “My journal. I doubt you can read it, none of the others know my written script beyond a few characters here and there. Twi knows more, but not enough to make sense of it. Plus I also use Sheikah as well in some spots where it seems to just fit better.”

“Oh, I figured that’s what the case was.” That brought another question to the front of his mind. “How far in the timeline are you?”  
  
Wild shrugged slightly. “Compared to everyone else? No one knows. Before I defeated the Calamity, my version of Ganondorf, it had been well over 10,000 years since the last time he was seen in Hyrule. I don’t know if one of the others in the group is the Hero before me, or if there is yet another in the line we have yet to meet. Not that it matters though.”

“What do you mean?” That confused him a little.

“As far as we can tell, my Zelda and I, Ganon is gone for good in my era.”

“Good, I’m glad he’s no longer a threat for you.” He said it softly, and gave Wild a weak smile before looking down at the Slate again as Wild flicked once more.

Clearly he took the offered change of subject easily because the sheer amount of small pictures with unreadable words beneath them had his attention.

“My compendium. I have to take a picture of an item before it’s logged into the Slate’s database and if I need to, in my Hyrule at least, I can find whatever I need if it’s nearby. Food, materials, monsters, weapons… It’s useful and I used it a _lot_ when searching for stuff.”

“It doesn’t work anywhere else?”

“Nope.” the latter part of the word was popped and Wild hummed softly as he flicked to a page lined with weapons. “Finding all of these was interesting. Some are literally one of a kind, and others are so common I trip over them every few steps.”

Link looked directly at the screen to see what he meant. 

“Traveler’s weaponry is very common, along with anything rusted. The Royal arms and Royal Guardsmen arms are far more rare and I only every found them in the Castle or when fighting silver or gold enemies and the occasional Hinox had them too… Hmm where is it...” Wild fell silent, Link looked up to see his brows furrowed as he slid his finger across the screen. “Ah! There it is! This is my Master Sword.”

Link looked down to it and his breath caught in his throat seeing the wooded area behind the blade where it remained impaled within a pedestal. Something poked at his mind, achingly familiar, but he stopped himself from asking where that was. He didn’t know if he would like the answer. 

Both of his eyes slid across the blade’s image. He could see the visible differences between Sky’s blade and this image of Wild’s. It was slightly less vibrant, the colors a bit duller likely from age, and there were very thin jagged lines trailing the length of it. The Master Sword was still beautiful and the greenery surrounding her did nothing to dull the image at all.

His gaze slid down to the bottom right corner of the picture where a single blooming flower stood out behind the sword. Murmuring softly, he pointed at the flower in the picture. “What’s that in the bottom corner?”

“The flower?” 

“Yea, I’ve never seen one like that. Even before I left the forest.” 

Wild pulled the Slate closer to himself and he moved his hands across the screen again before pushing his fingers through the glass once more. When he brought his hand out, within his hold was the exact kind of flower in the picture. The grip Wild had on the flower was incredibly gentle and he set his Slate down into his lap before he turned to hold the flower out to him. 

“It’s called a Silent Princess. In my past, they were _incredibly_ rare to be found. They only grow out in the wild itself, never could figure out how to cultivate them. That was 100 years ago for me though. Now? They are incredibly abundant because of the circumstances surrounding my time.” 

Link carefully took the offered flower from Wild’s hands and he slowly and gently twirled it between his fingers and thumb, watching the star-like pattern within the belly of the velvety white and blue petals swirl in an almost mesmerizing way. There was even a light dusting of pollen on the petals, giving it a wider color variety.

He brought it up to his face to breathe in the scent. Something he had longed to do over and over again through the last few years. The combination of what reached his senses was hard to place, but it was pleasant. Instantly he felt a wave of calm wash over him and tension he didn’t really notice slid out of his body. 

It was soft, gentle even, and almost like it was _graceful_ . Both of his eyes slid shut as he took another slow and deep breath, feeling the tips of the pistil and stamens tickle at his nose. Another wave of the soothing scent slid through him and he felt the edges of his lips lift in a smile as more of what made the flower unique pushed forward. There was a sense of _wilderness_ and _freedom_ with unbridled joy that reminded him of his time with the Kokiri mixed together in a way that nostalgia started to eat away at him and the smile turned wistful. 

After several more slow breaths, he blinked his eyes open, fixing them on the flower in his hand once more and he felt like he was _home_ for a few more short seconds. The sound of another soft click had him looking up, seeing Wild with a smile of his own on his face as he lowered the Slate from where it had been aimed at him. No doubt another picture taken and stored away.

“Do you like it?”

Link looked down to the flower again and nodded. “I do. I’ve never smelled a flower like this, nor seen one.”

“I imagine not. Like I said before, these grow only in the wilds of my time. Almost like weeds in some places, but no one really considers them a weed.” Wild shifted around again to let Link look at the screen once more. The picture that had been taken wasn’t visible, at the moment, but what was definitely caught his eyes. 

What was clearly once a beautiful castle in the distance, was surrounded by a miasma of red and pink black tinged light. Five pillars of some sort of metal were surrounding the building, as if they were the only force holding back whatever the miasma was. Four brilliantly red beams of light were pointed at the central most tower, as if aimed at a target. He didn’t know what they could be, beyond something similar to Beamos. 

Link could see that the walls of the castle were tinged grey and the stone itself blackened, it could have once been white and there was a sinking feeling in his stomach that he knew _exactly_ what this picture was of. His eyes tracked down to the bottom edge of the picture and dotted along the ground, looking eerily like the remains of a once vast and beautiful city. The thick and crumbling walls only helped further that and he swallowed as he stared at it for a longer time.

Tearing his eyes away from the ruins, he looked back up to the castle, then away to look at Wild who had something akin to a mix of despair and relief on his face as he looked at the picture as well. 

“What is that surrounding the castle?” 

Wild was silent for a few long moments before he swiped his finger across the screen again and a shape was visible within the cloud. It had a very rough pig like shape, tusks were visible within it and two _massive_ glowing golden eyes stared at the direction that the image was taken from. 

Almost as if it were well aware of where Wild had been when he had taken it. Link felt a chill crawl it’s way up his spine as he stared at it.

“Calamity Ganon. The monster that plagued my kingdom for just over 100 years. Both of these pictures were taken only a day before I started to fight my entire way through the Castletown ruins, and found a back way into the Castle itself.” Wild’s voice was soft but firm. “It was a monster that I would wish upon not a single one of my other companions.”

“Why is that?” 

There was a wry smile on Wild’s face as he turned his head to look at Link. His hair fell away from the side of his face, showing off the thick scarring on the left side of his face. “Even after training for over 6 years, having four companions who piloted immense weapons of protection, and my Princess finally unlocking a power she had no concrete belief she possessed… _I failed 100 years ago._ ”

Link felt like he had been punched hard in the sternum at that revelation. Blinking away his initial shock he forced his mind into working and he opened his mouth, managing to choke out his words from around the weight of his tongue. “You failed too?! _How!?_ ”

The next words that came out of Wild’s mouth further knocked the wind out of his lungs and he struggled to breathe for a few long moments as he didn’t know that it would or _could_ even be possible to bring himself back up from his own failure.

“I died. My companions died. My Zelda sealed herself within the Castle along with that monster to hold him at bay. 100 years is a long time.”

“But… you’re _here_ now. How are you alive if this happened 100 years ago?”

Wild looked back down to his Slate and swiped his fingers across the screen again, flicking past images faster than his eyes could track until they stopped on a picture of a very dark room. It was illuminated with blueish lights, the patterns barely visible on the walls clearly Sheikah in design. At the center of the room was a low tub with something like a lid pulled up towards the ceiling.

“This. I don’t know how it works, but my body was placed in this and I was put through a recovering slumber. It took 100 years for me to be fully healed and another full year and seven more months to get to the strength necessary to put the Calamity down, but…” Wild shrugged lightly. “We have quite a bit in common don’t we?”

Link’s mind was racing, trying to put together everything that Wild had just told him. Instead of answering Wild’s question, he murmured out one of his own, not quite able to meet the others eyes. “You succeeded, right? How do the people in your time view you then?”

“I did, _eventually ,_ there were a lot of close calls. But they treat me like any other person honestly. Most didn’t and still don’t believe that I’m the Hero. I like it that way more often than not in truth. I don’t like big crowds, too many variables and chances for someone to hurt me or someone I’m with.” Wild shrugged with one shoulder, letting it drop back down. “Plus it doesn’t help that I have a cult after my head in my time period.”

He didn’t really know what to say and he looked down at his hands where the flower was still in his grasp. Even in his shock he hadn’t harmed the delicate bloom by squeezing his hands or fingers, and he fixed his gaze on it. He traced the veins in the petals carefully with his eyes, trying to ground himself in the moment itself. 

Only a nudge against his knee after some time drew his attention and he looked back up to meet Wild’s eyes. “Like I said, we _do_ have some things in common. Maybe not in the same ways or through the same processes, but at least it’s a common ground to start on.”

“Right… How do you manage to live with your actions?”

“Loaded question that is, give me a minute to think it through.” 

Link nodded and looked back down to the flower in his hands. Distantly he wondered if he should find some water for it to remain in until it wilted, but he didn’t want to interrupt Wild’s thoughts until after the other brought his words together. 

“I won’t lie, it was very hard at first. When I woke up I was basically told that the kingdom fell because I didn’t manage to protect Zelda and get her to safety. I lived with the guilt and weight of the world’s tragedies on my shoulders for several months, trying to even find a _glimpse_ of who I was before. Trying to piece together my past rather than start saving the kingdom. Getting myself on track was hard because I didn’t really even _want_ to do it in the first place because who would expect a kid who just woke up with no memories at all beyond a familiar voice telling you to wake up?”

“You didn’t remember anything?”

“No, Whatever happened between me being put in the Shrine and me waking up did something to my memories and wiped them away like a slate and chalk. A smudge here and there will be found and I’ll get a flicker, but they aren’t common and more often than not it’s almost like I’m an outsider to the memories. But anyway, you asked how I live with myself.

“I tripped and stumbled my way into my Kakariko village, bloody and in pain from an attack by one of the insane cultists about three or four months after I woke up. As soon as I was healed I was brought to the elder of the village. She spoke to me and explained a _lot_ of what was happening around Hyrule in a way that I understood and realized that while, yes I died, I was in no way responsible for what happened and why. Only the Calamity holds that responsibility and it felt no remorse for what happened. 

“She urged me to recover what memories I hadn’t after seeing her sister in another village closer to the south eastern coast. Also, she urged me to do what I could to release the Divine Beasts, each of which one of my companions from all that time ago had fallen within. It helped, freeing them and the spirits of my old friends from the Calamity. There are still of course incredibly large blanks in my memories and I say or do things that I have no conscious memory of ever doing before. But…” 

Wild went silent again, Link looked up and saw the other teenager worrying at his lower lip between his teeth. He was patient though, a new question burned at his throat, and it was hard to not ask it yet.

“I live with knowing that while I failed, I was given a second chance to right the wrongs. A lot of blood, sweat, tears, and pain was given over that whole time period, and for more than half of it I didn’t have the Master Sword to help. Not everyone is given a second chance at life, and Hylia knows that I’ve probably been given more than an extra chance with how reckless I was at one point or another.”

“Your companions didn’t survive did they?” It was a quiet question, not the one that was still burning at his throat, but one he wanted to ask anyway.

“No. All four of them died within their machines, fighting against a fragment of the Calamity designed to kill them. Their spirits were trapped within them until I managed to defeat the blights, then they all aided me in their own ways.” Wild had a wistful smile on his face again and he slid his hand across the screen to bring up a new photo.

It was a group photo. A goron, at the back grinning like a loon with a Gerudo woman, a bird person, a zora woman, and two young hylians being squished together and clearly caught off guard judging by the collection of expressions on their faces. Link recognized the hylian male as Wild, without the extensive scarring along his face, and assumed that the hylian girl was his own Zelda. 

They looked… _tired_ . It was a picture of amusement and a fun moment, but he could see the exhaustion when he knew to look for it. It was in the faint bags under Wilds’ eyes in the picture, and the worry creasing her brow, between Zelda’s eyes. He also could have sworn there was makeup on Zelda’s face judging by the not _quite_ matching colors of her neck and face, even with the lighting being at an angle off to the right side of the frame.

All six people in the picture were clearly of various ages too, Zelda and Wild possibly being the youngest there, maybe the bird person the next, then the Gerudo and Zora girl were close to the same calendar age, then the Goron was quite possibly the eldest. He knew that the Zora aged a lot slower than a Hylian at least, so it was quite likely she was the same mental age as Wild and Zelda but…

Link pulled his gaze away from the picture to look up at Wild’s face. He was staring at the wall now, eyes a bit distant. When Link shifted however, the other blinked and looked immediately at him smiling faintly. “All of them were good people, and they did everything _they_ could to help us before we all fell and were still willing to help even after I woke. I didn’t know any of them beyond a glimpse of a memory each, and I was still willing to free them.”

“You succeeded though.” Link responded quietly.

“Maybe so, but I still know that I initially failed them. I’ve come to terms with it and after having it practically smacked into my head a few times, I believe it.” A wry smile pulled at the scars on the left side of Wild’s face and Link felt a small smile of his own quirk his lips before it fell again.

“How do you keep going forward though?” he questioned softly as he looked back down to the flower in his hand.

“The people. Like I said before, a lot of them don’t really know who I am beyond a traveler who isn’t afraid to take care of the monsters for others and someone who’s willing to help those in need. I help them and they give me whatever they believe the task is worth, sometimes I don’t even take the payment they offer either. They just needed help so I did.”

Link stayed silent for a few seconds, processing what Wild said. “I… I told Time this earlier, but I don’t think I’ll be able to do that here. I’m far too well known, and in a bad light at that. If I were to try and help someone, they would probably scream at me, spit on me, throw something at me, or a combination of all three. I wish that I could have it as easily as you do.”

“Trust me, you don’t want to have what I do and in the form of what I do either.”

“Why not?”

“Like Hyrule, our companion not the country, I’m being hunted down in my time. Different reasons for him than I, but at base the same. We killed our versions of Ganon. From what we know of his situation, Monsters believe that his incarnation of Ganon can be revived through his blood. I’m being hunted by a group of defected Sheikah called Yiga, as is my Zelda, simply for being the ones who defeated Ganon and being who we are.”

“Sounds like it wouldn’t be boring at least.”

“It’s not, but they aren’t above dragging innocents into the mess. Nor are they adverse to dragging the rest of the group into it either. One of the times we were in my Hyrule, a Yiga was in a town and I wasn’t paying attention really. Warriors was talking to them and I only registered what was about to happen when they offered him a good deal on _bananas_.”

Link snorted faintly. “Bananas? I’ve had them once or twice, not a bad fruit, but why _bananas_ ?”

“I have yet to figure it out myself, but they are completely obsessed with them. Unhealthily so.”

“That… I don’t know what to think of that actually.”

“I wouldn’t worry about them here. They don’t exist until after the time of the Hero before me.” Wild shrugged lightly again. “You won’t encounter one unless you are able to join us and we end up in my time. Even then there aren’t as many as there used to be.”

He hesitated here before shrugging one shoulder. “I doubt that I’ll be allowed to leave the country when and if I succeed. The people will want my head so, it’s likely that I’ll be imprisoned and publicly executed after being in there for a while.”

“You might be surprised. Sometimes it only takes one action to change a lot of minds. Then from there it only grows.”

Link shook his head. “Six years of obeying Ganondorf’s every order no matter how vile? No, I know what will happen. Zelda hates me anyway, so if I survive and manage to get away she’ll probably put a bounty out for me.”

“Hey.” Wild’s voice was sharp and Link looked up, blinking in surprise at the intensity of Wild’s stare, he straightened up. “ _None_ of that. It’s bad enough that I get those sorts of thoughts sometimes. Things can and will change in time and you don’t need to have thoughts like that when you’re trying to survive. Hylia knows I had enough of them and it played a part in why it took me so long to save my Hyrule and Zelda. That’s a very dark and lonely path if you think there is nothing to change in the minds of the people.”

“But-”

“No, listen Link- _it’s so weird saying my own name_ -, yesterday we all realized collectively that we are _catalysts_ for change. Good or bad. Circumstances change all the time for races and people in general. Your situation will change too. It already has, hasn’t it?”

He opened his mouth to retort only to stop and click his teeth together as he thought about what Wild said. 

It _had_ changed for him in a way that he hadn’t expected and his freedom had come to him. 

_“You will find freedom in the future. Take it tight with both hands and don’t let go. Bring Ganondorf down… I believe you can do it, Link. I just… I just wish a child didn’t have to be the one to do it…”_

Impa’s words echoed within his head and he took a breath, swallowing thickly and he turned his head to avoid meeting Wild’s eyes. He was unsure if it would last, he wanted it to, but he knew his eventual reality. 

“Zelda still won’t stand for me being left to roam free, even if I succeed.”

“Never know until you get there. A lot of things can and will happen to change the future.” 

Link glanced through his hair at Wild again and shrugged half heartedly. 

“I mean it. The Zora in my time blamed me for the death of their Crown Princess as she was the pilot of Vah Ruta. But I freed her spirit after I woke up and while it didn’t fix _everything_ , they are at least cordial to me rather than spiteful like they were when I originally woke. One action, that’s all it takes.” Wild leaned forward, holding Link’s eyes.

He couldn’t look away from the determination that was in the others eyes, to get him to see and… he was starting to _believe_ that Wild was right. His brow creased slightly as he kept his eyes on Wild’s and slowly he nodded. “One action…”

“Yep. One action.”

Closing his eyes, Link straightened up and took in a slow breath, held it then let it free. “One action, taking down Ganon.”

“Probably.”

He nodded his head and opened his eyes, letting that bubble of hope grow even more in his chest that had been born from when he held the Master Sword before. “I’m not going to let him keep a hold on Hyrule, even if it does kill me.”

Wild said nothing to that, only grinned at him and then looked back down to his Slate and turned it around to show him something else. It was a picture of that same castle as before, only there was no miasma left, the sky was clear, birds were flying overhead and there was nothing left of the hideous pink-red-purple-black masses on the ground or climbing the walls of the cliffs. The pillars were still there, framing the castle, but they were no longer glowing that poisonous pinkish-red, they were blue like the sky.

At the closest part of the picture, Wild was clearly standing next to his Zelda, both of them looking exhausted, scuffed, and _relieved_ . She was leaning heavily on his shoulder and his arm was around her to help keep her steady and both were sporting smiles. Zelda was in a stained and torn white dress and Wild was wearing the same thing he was currently, the blue tunic and the earrings, only with the addition of a black cloak with the hood down.

“This was taken after Ganon was sealed away again. I wanted to save this moment because I wanted to make sure that I remembered that I- that _we_ beat him. Yes, there are still ruins and a lot of places that will take an even longer time to recover from the malice and blight that infected the land, but it _will_ recover. The people already had anyway.” 

Link stayed quiet, unsure of what he could even say to the obvious success that the other had in his own fight. Seeing that there was a chance for his own mistakes to be fixed, like Wild’s had, did help him shove a few of the darker thoughts away. He knew they would linger for some time, but at least there was proof that he _could_ succeed.

His breath caught in his throat at a realization and he barely even registered that he spoke it aloud. “I _will_ succeed…”

“You will. Otherwise Legend and Hyrule wouldn’t exist at all.” came the soft reply and Link lifted his eyes up to meet Wild’s again.

“Do… No, nevermind.” Link shook his head and looked towards the door.

“What is it?”

“It’s nothing, I stopped the thought before it could really grow. I was a bit curious to know the outcome of my fate. But, I realized that I probably shouldn’t know what happens just in case something else changes.” 

“I wouldn’t be able to tell you anyway. Legend is the only one who knows your whole story...”

“...and he probably won’t tell anyone either. Let alone me.” Link frowned faintly and sighed before looking back down to his lap.

“I’m sorry.” Wild murmured, drawing Link’s attention back to him. 

“It’s not your fault.” Link shook his head as he sighed again. “I can’t blame you for not knowing anything about me. I only know that I will succeed, and right now? That’s enough for me, it helps.”

“Good. I’m glad that you have hope now.” 

The statement was firmly said and Link watched Wild turn his attention back to his Slate again and he turned his own to the flower still in his hands. Twirling it gently between his fingers he watched the colors rotate and he softly hummed what he could remember of the piece that Sky was playing when he woke up. 

He didn’t know how long he stayed like that, just quietly twirling the bloom back and forth in the quiet of the room, occasionally broken by a soft tap or huff of air from the other occupant. The exhaustion he had before was no longer present and he was starting to feel itchy and the need to _move_ and do something to occupy himself.

“Would I be able to clean up somewhere? I feel like I’m about to claw my way out of my skin right now.” The last part was said as an afterthought as he reached up with one hand to run his fingers through his hair.

Wild looked at him and nodded. “Yea, I’ll show you the wash room. I’m pretty sure I can trust you to not jump out of the window so I’ll let you have your privacy. Uh… I think the clothes you were wearing before Time changed you into those are…”

The other teenager stood up and moved around to one of the other two bags. Without any prompting Wild started to dig around before he made a soft noise of success and sat back holding out a shirt that Link knew was his in one hand while the other continued to dig around. “It should be in here… Yeesh Time, your bag is a mess…” 

Link snorted softly, amused that his older counterpart wasn’t all that organized, or at least not in an order that others could glean. Carefully setting the flower down on the pillow behind him, he moved to stand up and take the clothing once Wild found the pants and held both out. “Thanks, who washed them?”

“Time probably did. The tear in the shoulder should be fixed too, he was up later last night sewing it together so you had _something_ to switch into when you woke up.” Wild stood up and slid the Slate onto a hook that was on his belt and turned to lead the way to the door. “I can only imagine how much you want to clean up, so come on.”

Following after Wild, Link realized how stiff he was from how long he’d been both laying down and sitting. His hips ached from sitting cross-legged as well as his lower back from where he’d slouched a bit. But as he walked, the aches faded out to a dull and barely there sensation he could easily push away. 

Outside in the hallway Link could hear the sound of several voices rising up the stairs from his left. Wild however had turned to the right and was now standing outside another doorway near the end of the hall. Quickly he caught up to the shorter teenager and hesitated for a moment before looking at him. 

“I said I’d stay out here and I will. If any of the others try to pull the bullshit about someone watching you bathe in the future, bring it up with Time, Sky, or me. I won’t tolerate that violation of your right to some privacy, let alone Time or Sky. Just go ahead and wash up then we can either go back to the room or downstairs with the others when you’re done. It’s up to you.” 

“What about the clothes I’m wearing right now?” Link had his hand on the handle ready to open the door. He did feel a wave of relief wash over him as Wild cemented that he had the ability to tell them to get out of the room if he needed that.

“Bring them out with you, we’ll show you where you can wash them up for later. Now go on.”

“Right.”

He shut the door behind him and heard the sound of Wild sitting on the floor through the wall with a soft thump. A small smile crawled onto his face and then he turned his attention to the room itself, more than ready to wash his hair. On the wall opposite of the high bathtub there was a mirror and he set his cleen clothing down on a small shelf and he took a proper look at himself in the mirror itself.

The reflection was almost identical to the picture that Wild had taken on his Slate and Link grimaced as he reached up to run his fingers through his hair. All of the strands were lank and he was definitely going to thoroughly wash them, he could feel the oil build up. But first, he had to start the water and get in it.

-

It had to have been at least thirty or so minutes of intense scrubbing and rinsing the soap off before he let himself practically melt into the low bathtub. He didn’t linger for too long though, only another ten or so minutes before he stepped out and drained the tub before he dried off and dressed. 

Link rubbed at his hair roughly with a towel, drying the strands out as much as he could before he let it hang loose. Before he straightened up, he bundled up the dirty clothing and tucked it under his left arm and he sighed as he looked in the foggy mirror and he grimaced. The realization he didn’t have a brush was met with a sigh and he went to the door at the same time as he reached up with one hand to run his fingers through his hair. It was a bit futile as he hissed in annoyance while the door opened with a particularly stubborn knot which refused to tug free.

The huff he let free drew Wild’s attention to him and out of the corner of his eye he saw the other look up to him from where he was sitting. With his now unoccupied hand he started to work _that_ hand through the strands as well, making some headway before he encountered another knot. 

“Do you want a comb? I have a few extras, so I can give you one.” 

“Please?” Only a moment later a simple lacquered comb was pressed into the offered hand. “Thank you.”

“It’s no trouble. Do you feel better now that you’ve had a chance to clean up?” Wild pushed himself off the floor to his feet and brushed his pants off.

Link started to carefully untangle the knots now that he had a better way to do it and he hummed faintly. “I do, a lot better actually. What they gave me when we got here was good for a temporary fix at least.”

Wild frowned slightly at the reminder of what happened upon their arrival to Kakariko with the villagers throwing rotten fruit and vegetables at him. He opened his mouth to probably say something about not worrying about it, but Link beat him to it.

“It’s alright, I wasn’t expecting a warm welcome here. I’m actually relieved that it wasn’t _worse_ than that Wild.” The frown was still on Wild’s face and Link continued. “Like I said before, the people in my Hyrule have every right to hate me and wish all sorts of atrocities on me. I did everything that I was ordered to do, and that is all they know. Just not that everything done, I did _not_ want to do.”

“Still, it’s not right what they did.”

“They could have all thrown stones.”

That did catch Wild before he could open his mouth too far and he inhaled before sighing with a reluctant nod. “Right. Oh, you did get hit by one, are you alright from that?”

Link nodded as he undid another large snarl of knots in his hair. “It was only a superficial cut, and I think your friend who healed my face…. Hyrule..?”

At the nod he continued. “I think he sent enough magic through me to heal that as well. It had already long stopped bleeding, but I still plan on thanking him for it and the black eye too.”

“Yea… Time and Sky were both _not_ happy about seeing that.” 

“He had the right to. I… I will need to talk to him in the future though. Explain everything in more detail so he _knows_ what happened.” Link sighed softly and let the hand using the comb drop back down to his side. 

Wild didn’t say anything beyond giving him another small frown before nodding. He looked back towards the stairs when the sound of a step creaking was loud enough to be heard over the din downstairs in the main room. A head of fluffy and bleached blond hair came up over the lip of the stairs and Wild’s face lit up. Link tilted his head slightly before he recognized the much younger teenager as one of the two who had been affected most by the Redeads.

Link didn’t know which one this was right away, trying to put the face to the brief description that had been given to him from Time earlier. He wasn’t wearing a four colored tunic, so he assumed that this had to be Wind. It was confirmed when Wild called out to him.

“Wind, how is everything downstairs? Everyone behaving?”

Wind startled slightly, clearly having been lost in thought or still paying some attention to what was happening down below. His face lit up with a wide grin as he finished climbing the steps a bit faster than before. “Wild! Pretty calm all things considered. Time took Legend outside to talk so everyone is just milling around waiting. It’s annoying actually. I want to spar but no one wants to go out to the ring the Sheikah set up for us and I-” 

Clearly the younger teenager wasn’t ready to see him out of the bedroom and he blinked in surprise, tilting his head up to look at his face. It was like a lever had been pulled, his face closed up slightly and his eyes were guarded as he looked Link over. “Sky did say you were awake…”

For a moment he hesitated then nodded, feeling some water that was still lingering in his hair slide down the back of his neck. “I am yes.”

Wind’s face scrunched up slightly, like he was trying to figure out what to say to him. HIs lips were pursed slightly for a moment before he nodded once. “Good, Time was practically climbing the walls at one point when you didn’t wake up last night.”

A snort of laughter bubbled up from Wild’s lips. “Time will be annoyed if he finds out you said that.”

“I’m not telling him.”

“I won’t either.”

Wind looked at Link when he responded before Wild could. Then he slyly smiled. “Do _you_ want to spar with me?”

“I don’t thi-” Wild at least managed to get a few words in before he was interrupted again.

“Would Time even let me spar with you?” 

“Dunno ‘til we try right? Besides I can only imagine how restless you are after being cooped up.”

“Wind, we don’t know if Time will, nor do we know if the Sheikah will let him use their stuff. I’ve only got two extra blades in my Slate, and one is cracked. I doubt the others will let anyone else use their weapons. I know Twilight doesn’t have a spare anyway.” Wild finally broke in before Link could say anything and Link looked at Wild with some amusement.

Wind’s eyes were scrunched up slightly and a frown was on his face again. “Wild?”

“What?” There was some suspicion in the others’ voice. 

“Why are you being responsible all of a sudden?” The suspicion was also in Wind’s voice and he crossed his arms over his chest. Link bit at his lips to muffle a laugh as this was basically the same conversation that Time had with him earlier. 

The indignant look on Wild’s face was almost exactly the same as before too and he huffed in annoyance. “What is with everyone? I _can_ be responsible when I want to be!”

“You went shield surfing down the side of Death Mountain after telling us to count how long it would take for you to wipe out. _Three fairies_ are the only reason you’re not still in a bed right now. From the burns alone.”

“It was _two_ for the broken leg and arm and a red potion for the burns, _thank you_.” 

When Link looked to Wild’s face, there was a dark blush on the others face, clearly embarrassed, but there was also a glint of pride. “I take it this is like the Lynel incident Time mentioned?”

Wind’s face lit up like a fire and the kid cackled at that while Wild spluttered. “Time brought up the Lynel incident in front of him!?”

“Yes he did. All of you swore to _not_ bring it up again and he _did_ .” 

“Was it really that bad?” Link was smiling faintly as he looked between the two.

“No!” Wild’s head whipped around to look at him.

_“Yes.”_ mischief was in Wind’s eyes and when Wild looked back to him, he grinned. All of his teeth showing. “Wild has no sense of self-awareness when it comes to enemies, whether in a group or by himself. Trying to fix that through teamwork is harder than it seems. He went off on his own in his Hyrule and found a Silver Lynel, with sticks and bomb arrows.”

“I remember that being mentioned.”

The noise that Wild let out was one of exasperation and embarrassment, but he did nothing to stop Wind from talking about what happened.

“Twilight was the one who noticed he was gone, then the explosions started. We followed after them and came upon him running for his life with a broken stick in one hand and a freshly lit bomb arrow in the other. He bolted past the spot where all of us were getting a lay of the land and around a big ass rock came a massive Lynel at full charge, with an _enormous_ mace that it was swinging over its head-”

“It’s called a crusher Wind…”

“-and it was about ready to overtake him before we all joined in the fight to keep him from dying. It took a while, that thing was _hard_ to beat and all of us had a variety of injuries from it. He was practically on a leash for about a week after that.” Wind finished off with the large grin still in place.

“Ugh, don’t remind me. Twilight wouldn’t let me out of the camp without being at my side.” By the time Wind had finished, resignation was visible in Wild’s eyes and his shoulders slumped. He honestly looked like he wanted to hide behind someone for a while. 

“What even _is_ a Lynel? I’ve never heard of them before you all arrived here.” To draw the attention away from the embarrassment, Link asked about the creature. It did the trick and Wild practically ripped the Slate off of his hip to flip through the screens.

“You’ve never seen one before?” asked Wind while they waited for Wild to find what he was looking for. 

“No, never. The most fearsome monster I’ve ever encountered is a creature called a Dead Hand. They are not pleasant to look at and from what I know of their creation, it takes a lot of _very_ black magic and unwilling sacrifices.” Link hesitated for a moment. “I… I was witness to the creation of one. I didn’t want to be there and I wasn’t given a choice. I’ll leave it at that.”

Wind wisely didn’t ask anymore, his mouth curving into a small frown before Wild drew their attention.

“Here. This is a Lynel. It’s not a Silver one like the one that I… _tried_ to fight.” Wild turned the screen towards him again and he looked at what was shown. 

The beast was massive, thick golden fur covered it’s whole body and the mane was a stark contrast with the white hair. It was the lower body of a horse and the upper body of a man. It’s head and face was of a creature he’d only seen in books, a lion he believed it to be, and a pair of ribbed dark gold or grey horns protruded from it’s forehead in a backwards curve like rams. It had to have been near four meters tall from hoof to the top of the curve of its horns.

It was reared up slightly as if coming back down, or even preparing to charge. He could see the hilt of a weapon equal to its body structure protruding over one shoulder and the curve of what could only be a bow above the other. Honestly, Link could say he wouldn’t want to fight this monster without some sort of help either. 

“What does the golden color of it’s fur mean?” Link looked back up to Wild’s face and he caught the glance that the scarred teen dropped down to WInd before looking back up to him.

“The color of its fur shows how much Malice it has absorbed into its very being... That was not an easy fight either. No I’m not going to show you where it was when we go back to my Hyrule because I almost died fighting it Wind. I don’t know if it’s been resurrected or not and I really don’t want to chance it.”

“I wouldn’t want to run into it either. Not without at least five other experienced people. I know that I am a very good fighter, but I have a feeling that it would throw me around like a ragdoll with ease even in full plate.” Link murmured. 

Thinking back to the original question that Wind had for him he hummed and nodded. “As for sparring, as long as I will be allowed to and find a pair of boots that comfortably fit me I would be more than willing to. I don’t often get to spar against anyone shorter than I am. And before you jump down my throat, you’re still growing. I’m meaning that you probably use your height to an advantage and you _should_ .”

“Damn right I do. _Everyone_ underestimates me in our spars and it’s hilarious to watch them realize that I have them in the dirt after taking out their knees or ankles.” At least Wind seemed to be mollified for a few moments once Link finished explaining his reasoning. “Lets go downstairs then. Time and Legend should be done talking soon, so we can ask him when they come inside.”

“Link, don’t let Warriors and Twilight bother you. The two of them are wary and…” Wild started before Link waved him off with a small gesture.

“It’s alright Wild. You all have plenty of reason to be wary of me and… Twilight has his own reasons. You can ask him if you want to, but I’m not going to talk about it as it’s not _my_ story to tell in the first place.” A heavy sigh spilled from his lips and he closed his eyes for a moment, long enough to gather his thoughts and pull up a small smile. “I’m ready when you two are. I just need to drop the clothes off in the room.”

Without waiting for either of the two to say anything he started back down the hallway, stopping long enough at the bedroom he remembered he and Wild came out of to go inside and put down the comb he had in one hand and the bundle of clothing in the other. When he turned around to leave the room, his eyes caught sight of the flower that was still sitting on his pillow. Link picked it up and took another deep breath of it‘s scent. His shoulders dropped again as he let the smell help settle his nerves once again.

Leaving the room, with the flower in hand, he paused seeing Wild and Wind waiting for him. Both of them were in the midst of what looked like a play fight as Wild had Wind in a headlock and Wind was shoving at the taller teenager while his face was going red from either strain or annoyance. “Did I miss something?”

“He brought up the Lynel incident and _explained_ it.” Wild said with a feral smile on his face as his free arm started to tickle at Wind’s underarm. 

The shriek of laughter that exploded from Wind showed that he at least could breathe, and the squirming started to grow more fervent and Wild wasn’t letting him go. It continued for a few moments, the laughter growing more hysterical sounding as Wild’s fingers kept moving. The tickling ended only when Wind _clearly_ had enough and brought his right foot down hard on top of Wild’s left.

A yelp and curse had Wild letting go to hop backwards to clutch at the abused limb. “Ow! Wind that was uncalled for!”

Wind was panting and leaning over, one arm on the wall next to him and he looked up through his bangs, glowering at Wild. “You tickling me like I do my kid _sister_ was what was uncalled for. She however takes cheap shots, be glad I _didn’t_ Wild.”

Wild gingerly put his foot down and looked over to where Link was standing, covering his mouth with one hand. Link was trying as hard as he possibly could to not laugh any harder than he already was. A snort escaped his lips and that had his laughter start to become audible. 

Link ducked his head down and missed the victorious smiles that Wild and Wind shared and the laughing teenager only looked up when he finally regained himself. A few deep breaths were taken in as he straightened up. “I’m ready to go down now, whenever you are that is.”

“I’m ready too.” Wind pushed off of the wall and threw his arms up to thread his fingers together behind his head, a grin still present on his face.

“You didn’t break my foot with that at least.” Wild rolled his eyes up to the ceiling and shook his head before making his way to the stairs ahead of Link and Wind. 

Wind brought up the rear as they descended the steps and the room they moved into fell silent. Everyone had turned to look their way from what they were doing.

Link instantly met Sky’s gaze, a smile being sent his way and he looked to the rest of the other heroes. He knew who Twilight was with a glance from the previous night and his forays into the others time period as a shade. Twilight avoided looking at him, choosing to look at Wild and Wind on either side of him without lingering on either of them.

He put a name to the one with the rich blue scarf as Warriors, recognizing him as the last one to visit him in the cell before he was released. His expression was carefully guarded, nothing slipping free on his face, but Link did see apprehension and felt a sense of distrust swirling from him. 

A brightly colored tunic caught his attention next and he put to face the name instantly. That had to be Four, the other teenager who had been heavily affected by the Redead scream. He could tell that he didn’t exactly trust him either, but he also remembered what Sky had said about him wanting to form his own opinion like Wind.

That left only Hyrule as the one he hadn’t placed yet and he saw what Time had meant with greener toned eyes. It was a stark contrast to the various shades of blue that all of the others shared. He wondered where the green came from and why he was the only one to have the eye color. Link pushed that aside though and straightened up a bit more as he looked between them all again. 

Wind broke the awkward silence when he stepped forward and dropped both hands down to his hips. “Does anyone have a spare pair of boots that Link can borrow? I want to spar with him and he said he’d like to as well.”

The exasperated noise that Wild let free was punctuated by the sound of the door behind the table opening before anyone could respond. Time paused in the doorway, a brow slowly lifting as everyone turned to stare at him.

“Yes?”

“Time! Do you have a spare pair of boots that Link can borrow? We want to spar.”


	16. Legacy (Time)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time talks with Legend. Answers lead only to more questions.

Time didn’t really know if he should be able to trust Wild to watch over his younger self, but he was willing to give the other hero the benefit of the doubt. Wild did have moments of responsibility, despite all of the ribbing that he and the others gave him when he did something dumb or stupid in counterpoint to live up to his name.

He made his way downstairs, the sound of the others talking echoing up the stairwell to reach his ears and he lifted a brow as he heard some of what was being said.

“Legend you really should have come back to the room at least last night.” That was Hyrule.

“I didn’t want to wake anyone up. I was safe, don't worry about it.” Time could practically  _ hear _ Legend rolling his eyes.

“You still should have at least told  _ someone _ where you were going.” The frown that would be on Hyrule’s face was obvious with the tone.

“The elder knew where I was. She suggested I go there if I didn’t want to return so I did. I was  _ fine _ Hyrule.”

“Maybe so, but we work as a team now so you need to rely on at least one of us to have your back.” Warriors broke in. “Speaking from experience, if you’re in unknown territory you need to have someone with you to keep an eye out for stuff you might miss. Having others with me during the war saved my own ass several times.”

“We’re not in wartimes here though.” 

“As good as with the state of politics here. A civil war at that.”

“Ugh, fine… Next time I’ll let someone in the group know.”

Time finished coming down the stairs and saw that the others were all practically penning their wayward veteran in the middle of them. Warriors had his arm thrown around Legends shoulders and the younger was clearly annoyed with the action but hadn’t done anything to dislodge his arm yet.

Sky had been facing the stairs where he was sitting and Time caught his eyes. The elder tilted his chin down to the dishes in his hands and then to the door to the kitchen. A nod was given to him and Sky turned his attention back to Legend and Warriors. 

Legend was now clearly annoyed with Warriors judging by the glower on his face and the fact that his hands were twitching as if wanting to grab the taller male and throw him over his shoulder. Time shook his head as he left the main room and went into the kitchen, blinking and lifting a brow as he saw who was in there.

Up to their elbows in dishwater, sleeves rolled up and a scowl on their face was Sheik. Clearly Imelda was being very rigid in how much they were willing to let Sheik get away with and making sure to follow through with the punishment. Their shorter hair was pulled out of their face by a band and only a few strands slipped free of the material. 

Setting the two plates and pairs of cutlery on the counter next to the sink had Sheik lifting their head up, mouth opening to snap at whoever brought them more to do. The click was audible when they snapped their mouth shut and promptly turned away back to their task without actually saying a single word. 

Time said nothing in return, respecting the fact that the teenager clearly knew better than to start an argument with someone that could pick them up like an unruly barn animal. He simply turned away and felt his lips curl up into a faint smile as he heard a muttered curse and another splash of water. 

Returning to the main room Warriors was doubled over rubbing at his stomach while Legend was further down the table from Warriors nibbling at one of the leftover cinnamon buns, his back to Time. “Do I want to know?”

Legend twisted around, the bun hanging from his mouth before he snorted and shook his head and turned away again. “He wouldn’t take his arm off my shoulders after I told him to shove off.”

“Yea, and you used your pointy elbow.” Warriors was rubbing at the spot that had clearly been hit and he rolled his eyes before straightening up and sitting back down. “You alright old man?”

With everyone’s attention turning towards him he nodded. “I’m perfectly fine. You all have nothing to worry about at all.”

A ripple of relief went through the room from most of the others. Sky hadn’t been worried at all and it was clear that Four still was following Sky’s lead and the younger simply nodded and returned to mending a few straps on one of the others bracers. Time fixed his eye on the back of Legends head and he watched at his shoulders slowly tensed up until he shoved the rest of his cinnamon bun into his mouth and turned around to face Time. 

The look in his eyes was absolutely filled with annoyance and he crossed his arms over his chest, petulant like a child would be for stealing a sweet before dinner. Legend finished chewing, his mouthful and straightened up. “What?”

“I would like to talk to you, privately Legend.” Time kept his tone neutral and didn’t let his expression shift too much beyond the calm and relaxed mood he was truly in. 

Legend narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips. “Why? Why can’t any of the others be present?”

“Because I doubt you want an audience for what I want to talk to you about.” 

Wind shifted in place across the table from Legend, the youngest’s eyes darting between Legend and Time, then up to the stairs and back to Time again. Legend's mouth turned down to a frown and he exhaled and turned away. “No. I don’t want to hear anything about  _ him _ .”

“Legend... “ Hyrule murmured. Tension crept back up into Legend’s posture before Hyrule continued, Time knowing full well that if anyone could get Legend to listen it would be him. “It’s really important. Please will you listen to Time?”

Legend had a disgruntled look on his face as he turned away from Hyrule to get away from his gaze. “I don’t want anything to do with him alright?”

“Legend, what I want to talk about affects  _ you _ just as much as it affects Hyrule.” Time murmured. That had the teenager whipping around to face him, anger on his face and he opened his mouth to snap at him.

“He means me, not just the country.” Hyrule broke in, stopping whatever was about to come out of Legend’s mouth. 

The teenager grit his teeth and shoved away from the table. “Fine, but I’m not going to talk in here.”

“That’s fine, let’s go outside.” Time gestured towards the door and followed after Legend, knowing full well that if the teenager wanted to bolt as soon as he was out the door he wouldn’t really put up a fight at all. 

Legend stalked outside and turned to the right, going around the edge of the house and he stopped long enough to check that Time was following and then he continued on. Time followed at a relaxed pace, not  _ wanting _ to fight with Legend about this, but he had a feeling that what he was going to say would spark a verbal argument between them.

Both of them stopped at a fence, one Time remembered barred the rest of town from the cemetery behind the old storehouse. He leaned against one of the stretches of rail and looked out over the village, letting Legend settle in before he spoke.

“So. What is  _ so _ important that I have to know about it?” Legend grit out after he climbed the fence to sit on the top of it, arms crossed over his chest, looking everywhere but at the older man.

“Well, after you left the Elder entrusted us to watch over him. He’s staying in the room that Wild, Twilight, and I share and will for the foreseeable future. He’s only been awake for about two hours now too, Wild’s watching him right now as you know.”

“Great. Anything else important?”

Time frowned and gave him a sharp look that did nothing to break up the attitude. “Wind and Four are alright now that they’ve had a few nights of sleep and good meals. Redead screams are not easy to recover from so I’m glad that they were able to bounce back as quickly as they did. As are the others.”

“At least  _ something _ went right.”

“Imelda also offered the training grounds for our use. We’ll be making use of them within the next day or two as a group.”

“Will he be joining us?” Legend asked stiffly.

“Yes. Only with blunted weapons though. We need to know how he fights as I’m pretty certain that he fights differently from me.” he responded flatly. “Everyone will be there when we go.”

“Count me out. I want nothing to do with him, Time. I don’t want him to know how I fight at all because if he was  _ Ganon’s _ pet, this whole time there has to be some sort of loyalty to the man. I’m not risking the chance that he’s doing all this as a ruse to get to know us then rip us down.” Legend sneered as he glared back at the house up to the window that led to Time’s shared room.

Time took in a deep breath and let it out through his nose slowly as he pushed off the fence to face Legend. “You  _ will _ be there Legend. Everyone else will be there too and Warriors and Twilight are just as apprehensive as you are about him being included, but we have to face the facts that I failed at one point and it resulted in your timeline. Link is  _ proof _ of my mistake, even though we were  _ ten years old _ when it happened. He told me what the difference between us is and it’s worse than what I had thought it would have happened to lead to you and Hyrule.”

“What could have  _ possibly _ happened then Time? What could have possibly made him join Ganon’s side?” Legend snapped back, both of his hands dropping down to the fence to grip the railing beneath him.

Time finally felt the hold on his own temper snap as he snarled in return, keeping his voice lower so that any eavesdroppers didn’t catch all of what was about to be said. “He was ten,  _ I was ten. _ Ganondorf had a ten year old boy tortured for three years, Legend. I want you to think about that. That could have been, that  _ was _ me in a different path. So knock your shit off before I take you to the sparring ring myself and thrash you until you come to your senses.”

Legend dropped off of the fence and stood his ground for a long moment. “What could have shifted then? Why did you succeed and he fail?  _ Why did it even happen in the fucking first place?! _ ”

“My companion  _ left me _ . We didn’t even really start our quest in his case. It was over before it even  _ began _ Legend. He didn’t even get the chance to pull the Sword from the pedestal because Ganondorf acted far faster than Zelda and Impa thought he would.” His posture settled a bit when Legend looked away from him.

“I… I still want nothing to do with him, Time. I’ll be at the sparring ring but I really don’t want to go in with him. I doubt I’d be able to stop myself and then fuck up my timeline beyond repair.” The last part was murmured as Legend scuffed his boot against the ground. He was refusing to look up and meet Time’s gaze, but Time didn’t do anything to make him do so, it was clear that Legend was mollified now.

Rubbing at his face with one hand, Time sighed quietly. “That’s fine. The others would be more than willing to spar with you and you know that. I just want all of us there to watch him and whoever he  _ does _ spar with.”

“Whatever… Anything else?”

“At some point in the next day or so we have to sit down and start discussing what we need to do in order to bring Ganondorf down. Link will be there with us, telling us whatever he can, and we need to figure out who does what. Breaking his Zelda free from the castle is one of the main priorities, another is getting him to the Sword.” Time watched Legend frown faintly and then nod once.

“Fine. Don’t expect much out of me though.”

“I understand. But at least be there, please?”

“I will. Am I free to go sleep then?”

Time did note that Legend did look a bit more exhausted than usual, but he could also tell that there was something on his mind that was eating away at him. He stayed quiet for a moment longer before shifting enough to get Legend to sort of look at his direction. “Something’s on your mind still.”

Legend froze at that and then shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other. His shoulders bunched up around his ears again as he opened his mouth then closed it a few times. Frustration started to show on his face again and Legend reached up to pull his hat off his head, running his fingers through his hair to tug on some of the strands.

“I-” another annoyed growl left the teens mouth. A frustrated huff of air was blown free before he finally said something. “Meddlesome old women…”

“What does Imelda have to do with this?” Now Time was curious. He knew that Imelda had talked to Legend, and that she had said he was calmer when she returned the previous night, but she said nothing of what they spoke up.

“Look. I really don’t like even thinking about this, she brought it up and well... I figured it would never have come up. So I would take it with me to my grave but now that we’re here and  _ this _ situation is at hand I just…” Legend crossed his arms again, his hat hanging free from one hand.

Time said nothing, letting him work through what he wanted to say. But he was  _ not _ ready for what came out of Legend’s mouth.

“He’s my ancestor.  _ You’re _ my ancestor. I think twelve generations or something like that. The records were incredibly faded and the papers were nearly falling apart when I went digging around in the Royal Vault after one of my journeys brought up some questions.” 

Legend licked at his lips, still not meeting Time’s eye. “My Zelda helped me trace back as far as possible and I learned he fell in battle against Ganon so seeing him  _ here and alive _ is like my whole life has been thrown aside. I was proud at one point that I was descended from the man who fought until the very end trying to bring him down. But now?”

Time was watching his face. Now that he knew to look and  _ what _ to look for, he could see some of the similarities between them. The structure of their jaws were very similar and the shape of their noses were close enough they  _ could _ pass off as a father and son if pressed. Just as he knew that Twilight and himself could pass off as siblings.

“I… I knew that Twilight was my descendent, but I didn’t expect you to be one as well. I can see it now that I’m looking for it.” he murmured softly.

“You  _ can’t _ tell anyone Time. If he ends up dying before he sleeps with the woman who is my great-however many times-grandmother I  _ won’t _ exist, neither would Hyrule.” Legend finally met his eye, frantically speaking in a panic.

“Why can’t you tell him Legend?” Time questioned.

“I highly doubt that he’s even  _ met _ the woman yet old man.”

“It’s not Malon?” 

“No, and for good reason. I don’t know the whole story because of the damage to the records, but I know it’s  _ not _ Malon.” Legend shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. 

Time sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose again and frowned. “I still don’t get why you can’t tell him about this.”

“Time. If he  _ dies _ , or if he  _ doesn’t _ end up sleeping with her, I will cease to exist entirely.” Legend ground out between his teeth as he stared up at the older man.

“Not necessarily. There could always be ano-”

“That’s not the point! There is a reason  _ why _ it’s her and I don’t want to lose that slim danger of it changing. You should know what messing with time does to the overall history of the world!  _ I know what it does myself! _ .” Legend’s face was tinged red, fury building up before he took a deep breath in and let it out slowly through his nose. 

When he spoke again, his voice was softer, still tense but nowhere near as angry as it had been. “I just don’t want to run the chance of ruining the timeline more than it already is with us being here. Add in the fact that Imelda guessed what was bothering me when she talked to me yesterday it’s already dangerous. Alright?”

Time held his tongue as he listened to Legend, and the topic of changing the timeline  _ did _ feel like he’d been kicked by a horse, because he  _ did _ know better. “Alright. I won’t say anything to him, but I  _ do _ want you to say something at some point to him before he goes to fight Ganondorf. He does have the right to know if his legacy continues, just as I’m relieved to know that my own does through Twilight.”

Legend hesitated there for a moment before he reluctantly nodded. “Eventually yea. Right now though I trust him about as far as I can throw him.”

“Fair enough. Do you want to go back inside with the others?” 

“...Not yet. I want to take a few more minutes to calm down before I go back in and snap at someone.”

“Fair enough. Legend?” 

“What?” the teenager was looking up at him through his bangs, a small scowl on his face.

“Don’t miss lunch again. Wild was upset you weren’t there at all.” Time smiled, a glint of mischief in his eyes.

“I bet it was only him that was upset alright… I’ll be there for lunch, don’t worry so much. Just let me get my head on straight.” Legend rolled his eyes and turned to lean against the fence to look out towards the cemetery. 

“We’ll see you when you get back inside then, I plan to take a short walk myself, You gave me quite a bit to think about.” Time was waved off and he turned to start a vaguely familiar route to walk. 

Things were different in this Kakariko Village. It was more cluttered and taking on an almost top heavy appearance as he looked up and around him. A small frown was on his face as he walked the outside edge. People avoided him, but none approached. For which he was thankful, but it left a slightly bitter taste in his mouth that the people of this Hyrule would react as they had in the first place. 

It was a distant and faint hope, but there  _ was _ a slim chance that their minds could be changed about his counterpart, in time. Time wasn’t willing to tempt the anger of the villagers by actually going  _ in _ the village, so he turned himself around at the entry of the road leading back through the canyon to Hyrule proper, and started his way back the way he came. 

His mind continued to follow his previous train of thought and he knew Legend had the right to be selfish and hide what he’d told Time. But, Time did feel a small twinge of upset at his younger self being denied the fact that he  _ wasn’t _ the end of his line. He could only hope that the younger hero  _ would _ tell Link eventually like he said he would. 

Being drawn out of his thoughts, the clucking of cucco’s and a squeak of surprise caught his ears. He turned to find the source only to stop and stare with his mouth slightly open in shock. Staring back at him was a young woman, a  _ familiar _ young woman. 

There was fear in her eyes that slowly shifted to a wariness and confusion as she studied his face, but she made no move to come any closer than she was. Time’s gaze was locked on her and he felt like he was drowning because he saw the immediate difference between this young woman and his  _ wife _ .

She had short hair, choppy and tangled with the feathers of the cuccos she was tending. Mud was smeared liberally across her clothing and along her arms which were much thinner compared to  _ his _ Malon at this age. Unhealthily so the more he watched her. The younger Malon took a step back and the cucco’s around her feet simply continued to cluck and peck at the dirt around her bare feet. 

“They’re letting you- Y-you’re not..?” Malon swallowed thickly and backpedalled faster, turning and fleeing from the immediate vicinity before Time could say anything. 

Time was left standing rooted to his spot watching the young woman flee to a house further down the path. He heard the solid sound of a door slamming shut, but he didn’t move for a few long seconds as he tried to wrap his mind around seeing her like that. A sigh finally freed itself from his lungs and he turned to continue on his way back to Imelda’s home. 

Seeing Malon looking so much younger and thinner hurt far more than it should have. It brought back what Legend said and drove a larger spike of pain at what could have caused that fear and wariness. 

“I’ll have to ask later what happened to LonLon Ranch…” he murmured as he reached the house and blinked himself back into focus. Sliding the door open he blinked and lifted a brow as everyone in the room, now including Link and Wild turned to look at him. “Yes?”

“Time! Do you have a spare pair of boots that Link can borrow? We want to spar.” Wind rather enthusiastically called, near bouncing on his feet.

Looking up to meet his younger self’s eyes he saw the faint smile tug at the others mouth and a small shrug was lifted. “I don’t mind waiting for a while if you’d prefer that. I can be patient.”

“I may have a spare pair in my bag, but-” Time cut off as Warriors and Twilight both stood up.

“Time, can we talk to you for a few minutes?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am playing fast and loose with the canon for this, cause in the Manga Oracle of Ages, Link(Legend) is descended from the knight, Sir Raven. It's not too far of a stretch to lead it a bit further back to Fallen.

**Author's Note:**

> This is all spawned from a few ideas that a few people threw out into the angst headcanons channel and I ran away with the idea.
> 
> What I can say is expect nothing to be as you think for those of you not within the server.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [The Light's Downfall](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26480224) by [SilverDragonMS](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverDragonMS/pseuds/SilverDragonMS)




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